Interbrand & Business Week have once again published its list of Best Global Brands. It is easy to argue with these types of lists, armchair quarterbacking is a particularly entertaining past time. However I find that each one has some kernel of truth, and in this one it is easy to see the power of the global uber brands and a few global retailers who play heavily in Private Brands have scored well.

Private Brand Retailers of Note:

22. H&M
Unlike competitors such as the Gap, Swedish clothing store chain H&M said that it plans to create between 6,000 and 7,000 new jobs during the year by opening 225 new stores around the world. H&M continues to diversify with product mix, store expansion, and design. While CEO Rolf Eriksen’s summer 2009 retirement has sparked a potential succession issue, H&M’s continued focus on “nano fashion” (real time adaptability), price, CSR, and fashion designer collections have helped it grow.

28. IKEA

Despite tightening wallets, IKEA sales are up seven percent year on year. Now that more people are opting to spend more time at home, IKEA has taken a new lease on life. It also remains truly popular online. (IKEA websites are among the most visited, attracting around 450 million visits a day.) Customers still camp out before a new store opening. This year, IKEA continued to diversify and launched a pay-as- you-go mobile phone service in cooperation with T-Mobile that is 25 percent cheaper than similar pay-as-you-go offers.

50. Zara

Throughout the downturn, the Spanish clothing chain’s revenue has continued to increase. Unlike competitors, Zara does not have an issue with product life cycles, as it has an extremely efficient turnaround of new products. It is also getting a lot of credit from the market and analysts for its innovative logistics system, which allows it to get product from design to shelf months faster than competitors. The brand is gaining more of a leadership position right now, too, due to its low price for the latest trends perception. The enigma is that Zara is not a big advertising spender and instead builds awareness through word-of-mouth and retail presence.

Interbrand Best Global Brands

1. Coca-Cola – 68,734 ($m)

2. IBM – 60,211 ($m)

3. Microsoft – 56,647 ($m)

4. GE – 47,777 ($m)

5. Nokia -  34,864 ($m)

6. McDonald’s – 32,275 ($m)

7. Google – 31,980 ($m)

8. Toyota – 31,330 ($m)

9. Intel – 30,636 ($m)

10. Disney – 28,447 ($m)

See the entire list of 100 brands.