China’s Nongfu Spring has been ranked as the world’s 3rd most valuable non-alcoholic beverages brand behind renown brands Coke and Pepsi. This is also the first time a Chinese brand has made it to the Top 3 under the annual Non Alcoholic Drinks 50 list compiled by Brand Finance, a London-based brand valuation agency.
In the previous ranking, Red Bull was 3rd and Nongfu Spring was 4th.
Nongfu was however valued at US$11.1 billion, far behind Coca Cola (US$46.3 billion) and Pepsi (US$22.6 billion).
The brand listing and ranking was based on research across 193 UN member countries and is considered a gold standard for assessing the brand value of soft drink.
Nongfu Spring earned a score of 91.1 out of 100 in Brand Finance’s Brand Strength Index, up from 87.6. The index evaluates marketing input, customer loyalty, and profitability, and assigns an overall rating. This year, Nongfu Spring received the highest rating of AAA+.
Industry insiders attribute Nongfu Spring’s rising brand value over three consecutive years to its “dual-engine” strategy of combining water and beverage products, along with a strong focus on health-conscious branding. The firm’s heavy investment and protection of premium water sources underlines its commitment to a ‘natural and healthy’ brand philosophy, building a highly competitive barrier.
Vinamilk – the world’s most potential dairy brand
In a related development, Vietnam’s Vinamilk has also been named as the world’s most potential dairy brand by Brand Finance. Vinamilk is also the only Southeast Asian dairy brand ranked within the world’s Top 10 most valuable dairy brands. This achievement has also elevated Vietnam to 5th place globally in terms of dairy brand value accounting for 5.8% of the overall industry surpassing even more developed dairy markets like the US (4.1%) and Finland (4.5%).
For the first time, Vinamilk also received the AAA+ brand rating, the highest level on Brand Finance’s brand strength scale.
Vinamilk currently manages one of the largest dairy herds in the region, with over 130,000 cows cared for under European Organic and Global G.A.P. standards. Its farms supply 1.1 million litres of fresh milk daily.
In 2023, Vinamilk undertook a major brand repositioning, introducing a series of innovations to set new benchmarks for Vietnam’s dairy sector. Its flagship products have been enhanced with world-leading technologies like vacuum-sealed ‘fresh-lock’ milk under the Green Farm label, ultra-filtration for high-protein, calcium-rich, low-fat and lactose-free milk, and the launch of the country’s first milk powder containing 6 HMOs.
Vinamilk has also expanded its portfolio to include premium gelato, Greek-style yoghurt, kombucha tea as well as soya milk.
