Brand Finance’s latest ranking of the world’s most valuable B2B brands now features 250 brands, up from 150 last year
BEIJING, 15 May 2025 – China Construction Bank (B2B brand value at USD34.8 billion) emerges as the world’s strongest B2B brand this year, with a Brand Strength Index (BSI) score of 93.7/100, according to the latest Most Valuable B2B Brands 2025 report by Brand Finance, the world’s leading brand valuation consultancy.
Brand Finance’s research data indicates that the brand’s strength is primarily driven by high customer consideration and preference within its home market. Its scale and central role within China’s financial system further serve as key contributors to its strong brand performance, particularly in the B2B segment.
In terms of B2B brand value, China holds the second-largest share globally, contributing 16% through 32 brands in the top 250, with State Grid Corporation of China at the forefront.
State Grid Corporation of China (B2B brand value up 18% to USD84.0 billion), drops two places to fourth in this year’s global B2B rankings. Despite the shift, the state-owned corporation remains the most valuable Chinese B2B brand for the third consecutive year, with its growth underpinned by robust infrastructure investments and strategic expansions into high-demand regions.
ICBC (B2B brand value at USD43.5 billion) ranks seventh in the global B2B brand rankings, up one place from last year. The banking brand retains its position as the leading B2B brand in the global B2B banking sector for the third year in a row.
Meanwhile, China CITIC Bank (B2B brand value up 18% to USD10.4 billion) is China’s fastest-growing B2B brand in 2025. This surge is largely attributed to the bank’s strategic alignment with China’s national economic strategy - the “14th Five-Year Plan”- reinforcing its status as a trusted partner for enterprise and government stakeholders alike.
Scott Chen, Managing Director, Brand Finance China, commented:
“China Construction Bank isn’t just growing, it’s dominating. Its extensive reach and strong foundation in China’s financial system have been key drivers of its success, and it is not alone. Chinese B2B brands now make up 16% of the global top 250, proving they’re a force to be reckoned with. Brands like State Grid Corporation of China, ICBC and China CITIC Bank are at the forefront, showing how smart investments and staying in sync with national priorities don’t just boost growth, they build strong global players.”
Meanwhile, other leading Chinese B2B brands featured in the Brand Finance Most Valuable B2B Brands 2025 include:
Global insights
Microsoft (B2B brand value up 33% to USD292.5 billion) retains its position as the world’s most valuable B2B brand by a considerable margin. Microsoft’s position at the top of the B2B ranking reflects its continued strength across cloud, AI, and enterprise productivity. Microsoft’s integrated offering, from infrastructure to applications, has cemented its role as a core enabler of digital transformation.
Amazon (B2B brand value USD110.9 billion) reclaims second place this year, recovering its position after slipping to third in 2024. The company’s brand value has seen a year-on-year growth, up 60%, driven primarily by performance in its Amazon Web Services (AWS) division.
NVIDIA (B2B brand value up 98% to USD87.9 billion) claims third position, marking its highest-ever placement following exceptional brand value growth over the past year. It is also the fastest-growing brand for two consecutive years. NVIDIA’s rise in brand value is driven by soaring demand for AI chips, cloud infrastructure, and autonomous vehicle applications.
Brand Finance is the world’s leading brand valuation consultancy. Bridging the gap between marketing and finance, Brand Finance evaluates the strength of brands and quantifies their financial value to help organisations make strategic decisions.
Headquartered in London, Brand Finance operates in over 25 countries. Every year, Brand Finance conducts more than 6,000 brand valuations, supported by original market research, and publishes over 100 reports which rank brands across all sectors and countries.
Brand Finance also operates the Global Brand Equity Monitor, conducting original market research annually on 6,000 brands, surveying more than 175,000 respondents across 41 countries and 31 industry sectors. By combining perceptual data from the Global Brand Equity Monitor with data from its valuation database — the largest brand value database in the world — Brand Finance equips ambitious brand leaders with the data, analytics, and the strategic guidance they need to enhance brand and business value.
In addition to calculating brand value, Brand Finance also determines the relative strength of brands through a balanced scorecard of metrics evaluating marketing investment, stakeholder equity, and business performance, compliant with ISO 20671.
Brand Finance is a regulated accountancy firm and a committed leader in the standardisation of the brand valuation industry. Brand Finance was the first to be certified by independent auditors as compliant with both ISO 10668 and ISO 20671 and has received the official endorsement of the Marketing Accountability Standards Board (MASB) in the United States.
Brand is defined as a marketing-related intangible asset including, but not limited to, names, terms, signs, symbols, logos, and designs, intended to identify goods, services, or entities, creating distinctive images and associations in the minds of stakeholders, thereby generating economic benefits.
Brand strength is the efficacy of a brand’s performance on intangible measures relative to its competitors. Brand Finance evaluates brand strength in a process compliant with ISO 20671, looking at Marketing Investment, Stakeholder Equity, and the impact of those on Business Performance. The data used is derived from Brand Finance’s proprietary market research programme and from publicly available sources.
Each brand is assigned a Brand Strength Index (BSI) score out of 100, which feeds into the brand value calculation. Based on the score, each brand is assigned a corresponding Brand Rating up to AAA+ in a format similar to a credit rating.
Brand Finance calculates the values of brands in its rankings using the Royalty Relief approach – a brand valuation method compliant with the industry standards set in ISO 10668. It involves estimating the likely future revenues that are attributable to a brand by calculating a royalty rate that would be charged for its use, to arrive at a ‘brand value’ understood as a net economic benefit that a brand owner would achieve by licensing the brand in the open market.
The steps in this process are as follows:
1 Calculate brand strength using a balanced scorecard of metrics assessing Marketing Investment, Stakeholder Equity, and Business Performance. Brand strength is expressed as a Brand Strength Index (BSI) score on a scale of 0 to 100.
2 Determine royalty range for each industry, reflecting the importance of brand to purchasing decisions. In luxury, the maximum percentage is high, while in extractive industry, where goods are often commoditised, it is lower. This is done by reviewing comparable licensing agreements sourced from Brand Finance’s extensive database.
3 Calculate royalty rate. The BSI score is applied to the royalty range to arrive at a royalty rate. For example, if the royalty range in a sector is 0-5% and a brand has a BSI score of 80 out of 100, then an appropriate royalty rate for the use of this brand in the given sector will be 4%.
4 Determine brand-specific revenues by estimating a proportion of parent company revenues attributable to a brand.
5 Determine forecast revenues using a function of historic revenues, equity analyst forecasts, and economic growth rates.
6 Apply the royalty rate to the forecast revenues to derive brand revenues.
7 Discount post-tax brand revenues to a net present value which equals the brand value.
Brand Finance has produced this study with an independent and unbiased analysis. The values derived and opinions presented in this study are based on publicly available information and certain assumptions that Brand Finance used where such data was deficient or unclear. Brand Finance accepts no responsibility and will not be liable in the event that the publicly available information relied upon is subsequently found to be inaccurate. The opinions and financial analysis expressed in the study are not to be construed as providing investment or business advice. Brand Finance does not intend the study to be relied upon for any reason and excludes all liability to any body, government, or organisation.
The data presented in this study form part of Brand Finance's proprietary database, are provided for the benefit of the media, and are not to be used in part or in full for any commercial or technical purpose without written permission from Brand Finance.
