The increasing importance of brands in a competitive global economy, and their growing contribution to the value of the companies that own them, is illustrated in the detailed sector rankings produced by Millward Brown Optimor for today’s special report.

As Joanna Seddon, the company’s New York-based executive vice-president, points out, a new product or invention may end up copied by competitors very soon after its introduction, but what remains is the value added to the brand.