8. ChangYu
Overall position: 36
Category: Alcohol
Brand value: US$1.45bn
The modern era of Chinese wine began 100 years ago with the importation and cultivation of European vines by ChangYu. Over the last 10 years, the company has worked hard to maintain its leadership position by establishing an image associated with “culture, fine taste, long history, and wine-making expertise.”
It has introduced a new mass-market line called ViniPanda for international consumption as an attempt to leverage positive associations with Chinese pandas similar to the way the Australian wine Yellow Tail depicts a stylised kangaroo on its label. ChangYu sells wines in 28 countries and regions.
Domestically, ChangYu opened 10 imported wine stores in China in 2013, and planned to open several thousand over the next five years. ChangYu also expanded its domestic production to new vineyards created with European partners: the Chateau ChangYu Baron Balboa in Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region; Chateau ChangYu Moser XV in Ningxia Hui autonomous region; and Chateau ChangYu Reina in Shaanxi Province.