Hongtashan cigarette is China's most valuable brand

BEIJING -- The Hongtashan brand of the Yunnan-based Yuxi Cigarette Factory is the most expensive name in China, worth an estimated $3.9 billion, according to the Beijing Famous Brand- Name Asset Appraisal Firm. The appraisal, based on nearly 200 questionnaires sent to China's most famous enterprises asking about brand name registrations and finances, has produced a list of the 80 most valuable Chinese brands of 1995. Brand value, which is benchmarked against international standards, is made up of several factors such as the capability of the brand to influence the market, its ability to outlive competition, its international influence, support from investors and its potential for further development. The 80 most valuable Chinese brands, including those jointly created by Sino-foreign joint ventures, occupy majority shares of the domestic market and are able to yield the greatest profits. These 80 brands span 14 sectors. There are: 14 in beverages, 13 in electronics, 13 in household appliances, 9 in transport, 6 in food, 5 in daily-use chemicals, 5 in medicines, 4 in cigarettes, 10 in textiles and other trades. The majority of these (66%) are based in eastern and coastal areas. Guangdong is home to the largest number of them - 13 - followed by Shandong with 11, Shanghai with 8, Jiangsu with 7 and Henan, Beijing and Sichuan each with 5. Although the most valuable brand resides in the cigarette industry, the research found that the most rapid development is in the electronics and electric appliances industry, including colour TVs, computers, refrigerators and air conditioners. The Changhong colour TV made in Sichuan Province is the second most expensive brand name in China, with an estimated value of $1bn. In the automobile industry, the First Automobile Works leads the way with an estimated $790m value.

Hongtashan cigarette is China's most valuable brand

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