What's in a name? Firms find branding efforts pay

Many mainland companies still little-known to shoppers abroad

Privately owned enterprises have seen their brand value increase in the past year as more attention is paid to brand building, according to the Most Valuable Chinese Brands List 2013 released by luxury publishing and events group Hurun Report.

Among the 200 Chinese brands on the list, 98 are privately owned, accounting for most of the shortlisted brands and outnumbering their State-owned counterparts.