Internet search engine Google has been named the UK�s number one brand according to a poll out today, beating fellow IT giant Microsoft into second place.

Just over a decade ago it did not even exist but is now ubiquitous in our work and home lives.

Internet search engine Google has been named the UK's number one brand according to a poll out today, beating fellow IT giant Microsoft into second place.

It was named the public's top "superbrand" for the first time, rising from last year's third position.

However, Microsoft remained dominant over rival Apple which managed 11th position, with luxury car company Mercedes-Benz in third place.

None of the "big four" supermarkets - Tesco, Sainsbury's, Asda and Morrisons - made it into the top 100. Asda dropped 253 places, Tesco 230 and Sainsbury's 194 places.

Premium food brands performed better, with Marks & Spencer making the top 20 and Waitrose taking 179th place.

Fast-food retailers also suffered significant falls, with Burger King dropping 317 places and McDonald's falling 235 places.

The highest placed food product was Coca-Cola at 14, with Thorntons at 18 and Cadbury at 19.

The top 100 also included Manchester United FC, Guinness, Adidas, John Lewis, Yahoo, Heinz and the Royal Albert Hall.

The highest placed Scottish product was Glenfiddich whisky at 94, its first time in the top 100, while British brands overall have struggled to gain recognition, with only five home-grown organisations managing to secure a place towards the top of the list. Propping up the top 500 table is Maltesers, with Ambre Solaire, Braun, Garnier and Thorpe Park taking the other four slots.

Children's brands have also figured strongly, the top 50 including Lego, Fisher-Price and Playstation.

Stephen Cheliotis, chairman of the Superbrands Council which carried out the research, said: "Lifestyle brands, particularly those in the technology sector, have considerably more sway with the public than everyday staples such as the supermarkets, which now seem further than ever from the affections of the British people.

"As the spectre of rising food costs continues, they are likely to come under further scrutiny. The results are also a further sign that Google is continuing its dominance in the UK. It is clear that Google is the brand that people value at work and in their personal lives."

It is another barometer of just how all-pervasive Google has become in just 11 years, having been named the world's top brand, as well as the UK's in another poll carried out by a marketing magazine. Marketing experts also claim Google's ascendancy demonstrates the extent to which the world has gone digital.

The Google brand was registered in September 1997 by founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin and between 2006 and 2007 Google leapt in value by £14bn, from £18.7bn to £32.7bn.

The online giant reported revenues of $5.19bn (£2.5bn) for the first three months of 2008, a year-on-year increase of 42%.

But Mr Cheliotis added: "It's difficult for a brand to gain this kind of success without breeding an element of resentment from the consumer. With high-profile clashes ahead of it, such as the dealings with Viacom, Google may have a difficult time ahead in maintaining people's affections."

The Superbrands Council is a group of marketing experts.

Members rated a list of 1350 brands according to quality, reliability and distinctiveness. The brands were then assessed by 2200 consumers surveyed by YouGov researchers. This survey was used to create the list of the top 500 "superbrands".

In another recent survey Superbrands named Aston Martin as the UK's Coolest brand, followed by iPod, YouTube and Bang & Olufsen. Google came fifth.