Chinese brands are gaining a foothold in the war for consumer loyalty against foreign offerings, according to a brand survey sponsored by Reader's Digest magazine.

Of the 86 brands named as trusted brands in China, 40 were from local firms, accounting for 47 percent of the total. The results were a sign that Chinese companies' efforts to raise brand awareness in the past two decades are paying off, analysts said.

The results showed Chinese consumers are more loyal to homegrown brands in categories such as airlines, petro stations, banks, telecom companies, courier services, insurance, property developers and food & drink. Japanese and US brands each took 12 spots.

In the consumer electronics sector, foreign brands from Japan, South Korea and the United States grabbed the awards.

Organizers also highlighted 17 brands as Platinum Trusted Brands, due to their outstanding performance in the survey, such as Sony, Amway, Lenovo, China Telecom, Carrefour and Nokia.

"We have been rewarded several times with the Trusted Brand award, but this is the first time for Nutrilite to win on the Chinese mainland," said Vincent Hwang, vice-president of Amway China. Nutrilite is a brand of Amway.

The 86 brands surveyed were in eight categories: travel, services, information technology, consumer electronics, luxury and personal style, home style, food and drink, and health and personal care.

The survey, carried out by Neilson Media Research, involved 1,032 families living in Shanghai and Beijing. The interviewees had an annual family income of at least 54,000 yuan (US$6,835), said organizers.

(Xinhua News Agency November 29, 2006)