SHANGHAI, Sept. 09, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The launch event for the 2026 Kantar BrandZ Top 100 Most Valuable Chinese Brands was held today in Shanghai under the theme 'Growing with Intelligence'. The 2026 Kantar BrandZ Top 100 Most Valuable Chinese Brands ranking and report were officially unveiled at the event.The total value of the ranking has reached US$1.4 trillion, up 13% year-on-year, and marks the second consecutive year of double-digit gains for the ranking. Among the 89 brands that also featured in 2025, 54 increased their value, with growing brands recording an average uplift of 22%.
Media & Entertainment, Financial Services, Consumer Technology & Services Platforms and Retail are the standout growth categories of the 2026 ranking. Together, they generate 69% of the China Top 100’s total brand value. Media & Entertainment continued to be driven by leading brands such as Tencent and Douyin, while Financial Services extended its recovery, supported by rapid value growth from China Construction Bank and New China Life Insurance.Doreen Wang, CEO of Kantar in Greater China and Global Chair of Kantar BrandZ, said, “China’s strongest brands are demonstrating remarkable growth, resilience and agility. They are now entering a new era, defined by a maturing, saturated home market, and significant opportunities abroad. This is compounded by intensifying AI disruption. Meanwhile, fast-shifting consumer expectations are shaping where growth happens. To continue the exceptional momentum they have built, brands will need to combine up-to-the-moment market and shopper intelligence with Meaningfully Different brand positionings. This ultimately means staying very close to their consumers, both on- and offline.”
Top 10: Leadership line-up remains stable as Tencent celebrates six successive years as China’s No.1 most valuable brand
Nine of the Top 10 brands in the 2025 ranking have remained in the Top 10 in 2026. Tencent retains the No.1 position for a sixth consecutive year, with its brand value increasing 6% to US$209.9 billion. Alibaba ranked second with a brand value of US$112.5 billion, while Douyin has risen one place to No.3, reaching US$98.4 billion. Moutai, Huawei, Haier, ICBC, China Mobile, Ping An and Agricultural Bank of China ranked fourth to tenth, respectively.
Amid rapid economic and technological change, the BrandZ Top 10 Most Valuable Chinese brands remained largely stable, underscoring the strength and consistency of their brand-building strategies, while new growth trends have continued to emerge. Many have invested significantly in AI-powered technologies and searched relentlessly for profitable new spaces. These new spaces include B2B ventures such as tech, robotics, mobility, and the industrial internet - as well as 'instant commerce', 'micro-dramas', and high-end groceries on the consumer side.
2026 Kantar BrandZ Top 10 Most Valuable Chinese Brands
| Rank | Brand | Brand Value 2026 (US$M) | YoY change (%) |
| 1 | Tencent | 209,893 | 6% |
| 2 | Alibaba | 112,477 | 33% |
| 3 | Douyin | 98,432 | 29% |
| 4 | Moutai | 82,085 | 3% |
| 5 | Huawei | 80,233 | 25% |
| 6 | Haier | 52,629 | 10% |
| 7 | ICBC | 51,417 | 34% |
| 8 | China Mobile | 47,655 | 16% |
| 9 | Ping An | 36,840 | 24% |
| 10 | Agricultural Bank of China | 36,812 | 35% |
Growth is not concentrated in any single category or confined to the largest brands
Most of this year’s fastest-growing brands are mid-sized brands, spanning six different categories, highlighting the breadth of growth opportunities available to those that successfully innovate, diversify and expand into new areas.
Midea, with growth of 54% to US$11.7 billion, is this year’s Top Riser. The list shows that growth is not concentrated in any single category or confined to the largest brands. Rednote grew by 47%, while CR Land, NIO, Chow Tai Fook, Baidu, Freshippo and China Life also featured among the Top 10 fastest risers. By innovating products and experiences, reaching new audiences, entering new occasions and reinforcing differentiated positioning, mid-sized brands are building more resilient sources of growth.
2026 Kantar BrandZ Most Valuable Chinese Brands: Top 10 Risers
| Rank | Brand | Brand Value 2026 (US$M) | YoY change (%) |
| 24 | Midea | 11,695 | 54% |
| 11 | China Construction Bank | 32,458 | 54% |
| 74 | NCI | 2,575 | 53% |
| 27 | Rednote | 11,214 | 47% |
| 72 | CR Land | 2,642 | 45% |
| 77 | NIO | 2,390 | 44% |
| 37 | Chow Tai Fook | 5,852 | 42% |
| 25 | Baidu | 11,661 | 40% |
| 49 | Freshippo | 4,149 | 38% |
| 13 | China Life | 28,302 | 37% |
Newcomers: Seven brands make their debut, including four AI-native brands
Seven brands have joined China’s BrandZ Top 100 for the first time, from five different categories. They are Kimi (No.45), Amap (No.46), ChatGLM (No.53), Laopu Gold (No.67), Doubao (No.78), GoodMe (No.87) and Bank of Jiangsu (No.88). There are also four re-entrants, with home appliances brand Hisense (No.84) the highest ranked. ZTE (No.94), Hainan Airlines (No.99) and Master Kong (No.100) also returned to the ranking.
Among the seven newcomers, Kimi, Amap, ChatGLM and Doubao are all closely linked to AI technologies or applications. The rapid arrival of AI-native brands in consumer and business decision journeys is one of the most distinctive shifts in this year’s ranking.
Meanwhile, Atour, the hospitality brand; Tastien, the fast-growing Chinese burger chain; and Songmont, the premium handbag and accessories brand, were named this year’s 'Brands to Watch’, reflecting the continued emergence of promising new growth forces in China’s brand landscape.
2026 Kantar BrandZ Most Valuable Chinese Brands: Newcomers and Re-entrants
| Rank | Brand | Brand Value 2026 (US$M) | New/Re-entry |
| 45 | Kimi | 4,800 | New |
| 46 | Amap | 4,362 | New |
| 53 | ChatGLM | 3,541 | New |
| 67 | Laopu Gold | 2,855 | New |
| 78 | Doubao | 2,333 | New |
| 84 | Hisense | 1,957 | Re-entry |
| 87 | GoodMe | 1,800 | New |
| 88 | Bank of Jiangsu | 1,789 | New |
| 94 | ZTE | 1,620 | Re-entry |
| 99 | Hainan Airlines | 1,318 | Re-entry |
| 100 | Master Kong | 1,305 | Re-entry |
Growth drivers behind the ranking
- Intelligent transformation：From technical capabilities to real experiences
AI is moving beyond technological breakthroughs into everyday life. As intelligent technologies become more accessible, competitive advantage increasingly depends on a brand's ability to turn innovation into meaningful, practical value that consumers can see, experience and embrace. Ranked at No.33, vivo, for example, translates the telephoto imaging capabilities of its X300 Ultra into richer experiences for occasions such as concerts and travel, making technological innovation more tangible and relevant to consumers.
- Difference first: Turning brand strength into a clear reason to choose
Since 2019, Chinese brands with increasing Difference have risen in their value by an average of 64%, while those with declining Difference have grown by 2%. Tech innovation is just one facet of Difference; many others are emotive, such as a unique brand personality, a bold design, or a powerful purpose. TCL (No.64) draws on brand assets spanning sports, art and sustainability to turn technological strength into distinctive, enduring brand expression.
- Global ambition, local impact: The brands redefining globalisation
Over half of China’s BrandZ Top 100 brands have launched overseas operations, and one in four record overseas contribution of above 10%, an all-time high. As their overseas businesses continue to expand, Chinese brands are progressing beyond exporting products and operations towards local market development and long-term brand building. Haier (No.6) has leveraged its global presence to serve consumers worldwide and has strengthened its global business through deep localisation. It continues to strengthen its integrated local presence across R&D, manufacturing and marketing. With more than 10 R&D centres, 173 manufacturing centres and a global sales network spanning 230,000 points of sale, Haier has been able to respond quickly to local market needs and deliver products and services tailored to consumers worldwide.
About Kantar BrandZ
Kantar BrandZ is the global currency when assessing brand value, quantifying the contribution of brands to business’ financial performance. Kantar’s annual global and local brand valuation rankings combine rigorously analysed financial data, with extensive brand equity research. Since 1998, BrandZ has shared brand-building insights with business leaders based on interviews with 4.6 million consumers, for 22,392 brands in 54 markets.
Kantar’s BrandZ Most Valuable Chinese Brands is the most definitive and robust ranking available. Brands must meet the following eligibility criteria:
- The brand must have originated in Chinese mainland.
- The brand must be owned by a publicly traded enterprise, or the brand’s financials must be audited by a major global accounting practice and published in the public domain.
- Bank brands must derive at least 20% of their earnings from retail banking.
- Chinese unicorn brands must have their most recent valuation publicly available.
About Kantar
Kantar is the world’s leading marketing data and analytics business. We deliver the intelligence needed to power brand growth in the AI era. We provide the signals that help organisations act quickly and confidently. We empower brands to make effective marketing decisions based on predictive evidence. And we help them craft powerful growth strategies rooted in the connection between consumers, brands and enterprise value. All this is powered by our uniquely robust human and synthetic data, our unrivalled IP, our AI-native platform and the team of global brand experts that bring this all together.
Vesper Wang vesper.wang@kantar.com
