In brief
A Brand Finance report released in Nanning shows ASEAN’s top 500 brands grew to $315.6 billion in 2026, an 8% jump, with banking maintaining dominance yet airlines and travel brands expanding fast. Analyst Alex Haigh highlighted the importance of reputation, customer relationships and local relevance for firms expanding across China and ASEAN markets.
Xinhua reported on Friday that the total value of the top 500 brands in ASEAN reached $315.6 billion in 2026, an 8 percent year‑on‑year increase, as the region’s brand landscape diversifies.
The British brand‑valuation consultancy Brand Finance led the analysis, noting that banking remains ASEAN’s largest sector, contributing $105.9 billion, while travel and leisure brands gain ground across the 378 companies tracked since 2023.
Brand Finance’s review highlighted that the 73 banks tracked consistently added $26 billion, representing nearly 60 percent of the total increase among all brands analysed.
Airlines emerged as the fastest‑growing major sector, posting a 67 percent rise since 2023, according to the report released in Nanning, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.
Alex Haigh, managing director of Brand Finance Asia Pacific, said at the briefing that as Chinese and ASEAN firms pursue cross‑market opportunities, brand strength will become a key differentiator.
Companies that invest in reputation, customer relationships and local relevance will be better positioned to build sustainable value beyond their home markets, he added.
Brand Finance, founded in 1996, publishes over 100 brand reports annually, ranking brands across sectors and countries worldwide.
