New Zealand Ferrari owners have always known it, but now it’s official.

The Italian supercar is the world’s most powerful brand.

In its 2013 Global 500 list, which names the world's top 500 most valuable brands, leading brand valuation and marketing experts Brand Finance awarded Ferrari top honours for brand power ahead of Google, Coca-Cola, PwC and Hermes.

And that’s despite the fact Ferrari’s overall brand value is much less than the world’s leaders.

Brand Finance lists Apple ($US87.3 billion) as the most valuable brand, ahead of Samsung ($US58.8 billion), Google ($US52.1 billion), Microsoft ($US45.5 billion) and Walmart ($US42.3 billion).

Ferrari’s brand value was rated at $US3.6 billion.

Brand Finance chief executive David Haigh says Ferrari made up ground on the others through “qualitative measures” such as brand affection and loyalty.

“Technology, contractual, human capital and customer intangibles as well as general goodwill all drive corporate value,” he says.

The news is the icing on the cake for Ferrari which has just posted its best financial result ever, recording an annual revenue of $2.4 billion and a net profit of $326 million, a 17.8 per cent increase.

rvaughan@nbr.co.nz