Leading brand valuation consultancy, Brand Finance, has published its 2023 Alcoholic Drinks Report, which details the world’s most valuable spirits brands, as well as the strongest brands and the fastest-growing.
Baijiu brands dominate the most valuable brands list, with Moutai retaining its title as the world’s most valuable spirit brand, with a brand value of US$49.7bn, up 16 per cent on last year.
Moutai’s innovation over the last year has helped maintain its position as the world’s most valuable spirits brand, with Brand Finance highlighting that in 2022, ahead of Chinese New Year, Moutai hosted its first online sale, auctioning some of the brand’s rarest Chinese baijiu. The auction was exclusive to China-based consumers, aligning with the brand’s perceptions of scarcity and exclusivity.
The top five is rounded out by Wuliangye ($30.3bn), Xinghuacun Fen Wine ($8.4bn), Luzhou Laojiao ($7.7bn) and Yanghe ($6.8bn). Hennessy is the highest-value non-Chinese spirits brand, sitting sixth overall, with a brand value of $6.3bn.
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.
In addition to being the most valuable brand, Moutai is now also the world’s strongest Spirits brand, with a Brand Strength Index (BSI) score of 90.8 out of 100. Wuliangye is again second, with a BSI of 89.8. Tequila 1800 is third in the brand strength list, with a BSI of 89.3, followed by Baileys (86.6) and South Korean Chamisul, with a BSI of 86.3.
Tequila 1800 has also claimed the title of the fastest-growing spirits brand, with its brand valueup by 111.5 per cent to $424m. Brand Finance said that in with tequila’s category growth and the brands improved standing among next-generation tequila drinkers, 1800 grew very quickly.
Casamingos also saw its brand value more than double, up by 108.5 per cent to $934m, with Brand Finance saying Casamigos’ growth is a direct result of improved market share, highlighting brand quality, authenticity, and innovation.
Henry Farr, Associate Director at Brand Finance said: “The tequila sector has really grown in recent years. It is outpacing other spirits, leaving tequila brands well-positioned to capture evolving preferences of consumers, where many are opting for higher quality, premium-branded product and this is what Casamigos, especially, has done so well, given that its entire inception was based on creating a product they wanted to drink and enjoy.”
Brand Finance compiles the lists using what it calls its ‘Royalty Relief approach’, which involves estimating the likely future sales that are attributable to a brand and calculating a royalty rate that would be charged for the use of that brand. The overall brand value also includes a brand strength index and estimated brand revenues.