The Brand Finance Global 500 is an annual report that ranks the world's most valuable brands. Each brand is evaluated based on its Brand Rating, which measures the brand's strength, risk, and future potential relative to its competitors, and its Brand Value, which represents the financial strength of the brand. In 2010, the top 500 brands showed signs of recovery, growing by 27% in total brand value, largely due to the resurgence in the banking and telecommunications sectors. Walmart was the most valuable brand in the world, growing in brand value by 2% to $41.4 billion. Emerging market brands were also on the rise, with South America experiencing the fastest growth in brand value by 117%.
