The iPhone maker is again No.1

Apple has again been crowned the most valuable global brand in the annual BrandZ report.

Released Tuesday, Mill ward Brown Optimor's 2013 BrandZ report pegs Apple with a brand value of $185 billion, up from $183 billion last year. Based on financial data and the opinions of potential and current buyers, Apple retained its top rank in spite of the thrashing suffered by its stock over the past several months.

"Despite a more competitive marketplace and other challengers nipping at its heels, Apple's ability to maintain its No.1 position demonstrates the value that having a strong brand brings to business," Nick Cooper, managing director of Mill ward Brown Optimor, said in a statement. "People still love the brand regardless of its stock price."

But Apple's value rose just 1 percent from last year, compared with a 19 percent jump in 2012 and an 84 percent leap in 2011. As such, a few other tech players outscored Apple in their value growth this year.

No. 2 Google received a brand value of $113 billion, a 5 percent gain from last year. No. 6 AT&T saw its value rise 10 percent to $75 billion. And No. 10 China Mobile earned a value of $55 billion, a gain of 18 percent from 2012.

Apple's major rival, Samsung, was No. 30 on the list. But it jumped by 51 percent from last year, achieving a brand value of $21 billion.

"Vying for leadership in the smartphone market, Samsung fueled its huge increase in brand value by balancing a remarkable period of innovation with growing market share -- it spent $1.6 billion more on advertising in the last year," Cooper said.

Still, other tech players saw their values drop in the BrandZ report. No. 3 IBM lost 3 percent of its value, No. 7 Microsoft shed 9 percent, and No. 31 Facebook gave up 36 percent.

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