The international research agency Kantar has published its annual 2026 Most Valuable Global Brands report, determining the world's most valuable trademarks. Only a few representatives of the FMCG industry managed to enter the prestigious overall Top 100 ranking, with food, soft drinks, and alcohol manufacturers occupying key positions among them. The sector leader was the Coca-Cola brand, whose value increased by 1% to reach $121.3 billion. The Chinese alcohol giant Moutai maintained a strong position in the top hundred, despite a slight value decrease of 1% to $73.6 billion.

In terms of individual product categories, the food and beverage segment demonstrated steady positive dynamics. The total value of food brands increased by 8% over the year, reaching $309.6 billion. Conversely, a decline was recorded in the alcohol industry: the total value of the largest brands fell by 7%, dropping to $194.1 billion.

The main sensation of the year in the soft drinks category was the performance of the Chinese bottled water and tea manufacturer Nongfu Spring, which demonstrated a record 71% growth in value. This allowed the company to firmly secure a place in the top 5 global food and beverage brands.

The full list of the five largest food and beverage brands is as follows:

1. Coca-Cola.
2. Red Bull — $24.2 billion.
3. Nongfu Spring — $20.1 billion.
4. Pepsi — $16.2 billion.
5. Lay's — $13.3 billion.

The top five leaders of the global alcohol market, besides Moutai, included Corona ($16.5 billion), Budweiser ($14.4 billion), Heineken ($11.8 billion), and Modelo ($7.4 billion).

Kantar experts also evaluated brands on the Brand Equity scale, which measures a trademark's ability to effectively retain its market share. Almost all leaders in the food sector received the maximum score of 4 out of 4 points. The only exception among the largest food and beverage brands was Moutai, which recorded a score of 3 out of 4 points, indicating the need to strengthen marketing communications outside the Chinese domestic market.

For Chinese food and beverage manufacturers, the results of this study provide strategic benchmarks. The phenomenal success of Nongfu Spring on a global level proves the high competitiveness of Chinese recipes, marketing, and packaging solutions. Amid the large-scale transformation of the markets in Russia and the CIS countries, where consumers show high openness to new Asian products, Chinese brands have every chance to occupy vacant premium niches, displacing traditional Western leaders.