5. Harbin Beer (39. US $601m)
Harbin has some serious muscle behind it, Anheuser-Busch InBev’s (AB InBev’s) to be precise, after the latter bought the brand – which only recently moved from regional to national status – in 2004.
Despite some exports to North America and Europe, AB InBev has kept the brand as a ‘local champion’ (within its multinational portfolio of 200+ beers) and China remains the core market.
Active marketing in 2012 was tied to NBA basketball star Shaquille O’Neal, who even featured on bottle labels and point-of-sale material, while the brand continued to sponsor the Harbin International Beer Festival, in its eponymous city in Heilongjiang Province, Northeast China.
