Five automakers earned recognition this week as one of the top 100 brands worldwide when brand consultant Interbrand unveiled its annual honorees as the Best Global Brands.

OEMs stacking up well against technology, food and other luxury-product companies were Toyota, picked at No. 11, Mercedes-Benz, which came in No. 12, and BMW, which was ranked No. 15. Also making the list were Ford at No. 50 and Audi at No. 63.

Interbrand officials conceded that it's been a difficult year for the auto industry, especially for Toyota. They calculated Toyota lost 16 percent of its brand value because of recalls earlier this year to settle just outside of the top 10. 

"Its long-standing reputation for reliability, efficiency and innovation helped it weather the crisis better than expected," Interbrand stated about Toyota.

Moving along, firm officials believe Mercedes-Benz and BMW were able to sustain and build their value through innovative design and a focus on delivering premium value vehicles with luxury features.

The firm also thought Ford stood out as one of the best examples of how to use social media. Interbrand came to that assessment based on the use of customer feedback, largely drawn from YouTube, Flickr, Twitter and Facebook to launch the Fiesta.

Finally, Interbrand pointed out award-winning models like the Q5 and rich heritage helped Audi lead industry growth this year with a 9-percent increase in its brand value.

In the financial sector, the firm noted legacy brands Citi at No. 40 and UBS at No. 86 lost double-digits in brand value. Meanwhile Santander (No. 68), Barclays (No. 74) and Credit Suisse (No. 80) made their debut on the list for the first time.

"Their ability to stay true to brand promises in unsure times, and avoidance of the subprime mortgage crisis, helped them stay the course," Interbrand officials stressed.

Now in its 11th year, Interbrand again gave the top spot on this list to Coca-Cola. The drink maker has led the way of brand honorees every time.

Technology dominated the next three slots on the list as coming in behind Coca-Cola were IBM, Microsoft and Google, whose brand value shot up 36 percent from last year, according to Interbrand.

Jez Frampton, the group chief executive at Interbrand, stated, "2010 was the beginning of a long road back towards economic recovery.

"From real-time customer feedback through social media to increased transparency about corporate citizenship, brands were faced with a profound change in the way they relate to customers and demonstrate their relevance and value," Frampton continued. "Despite this new paradigm of brand management, the advantages of building a solid brand remain the same."

The complete list of all 100 selections can be found at www.thebestglobalbrands.com.