LONDON, February 24 /PRNewswire/ --

- As British Airways and BBC Worldwide Fall Out of the Top 10

Internet giant Google has - for the second year in a row - notched the top slot in the prestigious annual Business Superbrands survey, compiled by The Centre for Brand Analysis (TCBA) on behalf of the Superbrands organisation. To generate the rankings TCBA analysed the views of an Expert Council and over 1,500 business professionals.

Now in its seventh year, Business Superbrands identifies and pays tribute to the country's 500 strongest B2B brands. New entries into the top 10 are: Michelin in 8th place, rising from last year's 63rd; Sony in 3rd (30th); Nokia in 5th (18th); the London Stock Exchange in 8th (15th); and Bupa in 10th (12th). Film studio Pinewood Shepperton, which won a BAFTA this month for Outstanding Contribution to British Cinema, is a new entry in at 490.

Brands not faring so well include the beleaguered BBC Worldwide, which held the top slot back in 2007 but has now dropped out of the top ten, falling from 4th last year to 15th. It is more bad news for British Airways which also fell out of the top ten for the first time; after another difficult year the brand has dropped from 8th to 36th. Earlier this month it posted a GBP70million loss in the nine months to December 31st.

Meantime, Rolls-Royce Group has done exceptionally well. Having now taken second place in the rankings, Rolls Royce could challenge Google for the top slot in 2010.

The highest new entry is Yale, which has achieved an impressive 57th position whilst Nokia Siemens Networks enters strongly at 127th. The biggest year-on-year riser is Investors in People which has risen an incredible 185 places to sit at 210. Other fast risers include ThyssenKrupp, Eurotunnel and London City Airport.

Business 2008 Top 10 1) Google 2) Microsoft 3) BP 4) BBC Worldwide 5) GlaxoSmithKline 6) Rolls-Royce Group 7) FT 8) British Airways 9) FedEx Express 10) Hertz Business 2009 Top 10 1) Google 2) Rolls-Royce Group 3) Sony 4) Microsoft 5) Nokia 6) GlaxoSmithKline 7) London Stock Exchange 8) Michelin 9) BP 10) Bupa

For full top 500 and about the business superbrands selection process:

PR: Amanda Harrison, +44(0)1296-660-294, ah@amandaharrisonmedia.co.uk

Stephen Cheliotis, +44(0)20-7079-3317 stephen.cheliotis@tcba.co.uk

For full top 500 and about the business superbrands selection process: PR: Amanda Harrison, +44(0)1296-660-294, ah@amandaharrisonmedia.co.uk; Stephen Cheliotis, +44(0)20-7079-3317 stephen.cheliotis@tcba.co.uk