Chinese brands increase their global influence

Alibaba, ByteDance, Huawei, Xiaomi and Lenovo are the top Chinese brands with global influence, according to a report by Google and Kantar released on Monday.

Consumer electronics, mobile games, home appliances and e-commerce topped the list with people using more gadgets and digital services as the pandemic forced them to stay at home, according to the report. 

The Chinese Global Brand Builders 2021 report involved 860,000 consumers in 11 countries and regions, using data from Google and YouTube. 

Searches for Chinese brands jumped 66 percent over the past 12 months on Google and YouTube in the emerging markets of India, Indonesia, Brazil and Mexico. Compared with mature markets, Chinese brands have more opportunities and flexible business models in these regions, Google said during an online conference.

The list also included Oppo, Haier, Hisense, Air China, Tsingtao, DJI and China Eastern in the top 20 rankings, covering smartphones, home appliances, air transport and beverages. 

Mobile games showed rapid growth as people spent more time on digital entertainment. Firms on the list included FunPlus, Lilith, MiHoYo, Yoozoo, IGG and 37Games. 

Genshin Impact, a leading game in Apple’s App Store and Google Play, helped Shanghai-based MiHoYo enter the top 50 brand list at No.22.

Alibaba is No.1 spot in the list. By June, it had over 1 billion active consumers, with about 20 percent coming from overseas markets.

Trip.com ranks 50th on the list, down from 42nd the previous year. The tourism platform announced a global expansion plan but faced challenges during the pandemic.