Google is the world's No. 1 brand, according to market researcher Millward Brown Optimor. This marks the second year in a row that a tech company has topped the charts, overtaking such established brands as General Electric and Marlboro.

Google bumped Microsoft out of the lead. Microsoft, which topped the charts last year, has now fallen to third place.

"Google is an absolutely phenomenal brand in the sense that it is very clear what it stands for and it has perceived leadership and innovation," Peter Walshe, global brands director at Millward Brown Optimor, told Silicon.com.

The top 10 brands, as reported by CNET News.com:

1. Google-- $66.4 billion
2. General Electric-- $61.9 billion
3. Microsoft-- $55 billion
4. Coca-Cola-- $44.1 billion
5. China Mobile-- $41.2 billion
6. Marlboro-- $39.2 billion
7. Wal-Mart-- $36.9 billion
8. Citigroup-- $33.7 billion
9. IBM-- $33.6 billion
10. Toyota Motor-- $33.4 billion