Recently, the Hunan Trademark and Brand Association officially issued the group standard Evaluation Specification for Well-known Trademark-Brand (referred to as “the Specification” in the following text), which will take effect on March 1, 2026.
As a core hub in central China, Hunan boasts strong strengths in advanced manufacturing, geographical indication agriculture and high-tech industries, and is a key market for international brand cooperation. The Specification is consistent with the core logic of the Evaluation Specification for Well-known Trademark-Brand issued by the China Trademark Association, while fully reflecting the industrial characteristics of Hunan. It provides a clear institutional reference for international stakeholders to participate in brand cooperation and market development in Hunan.
Based on the national counterpart, this Specification has completed a series of localized upgrades.
In the application process, membership in the Hunan Trademark and Brand Association is added as a mandatory requirement for evaluation participation. Meanwhile, it specifies a rigid requirement for trademark use: continuous use for at least 3 years, or 5 years of use if the registration period is less than 3 years, making the application threshold more specific and operable. Geographical indication trademarks and trademarks of specialized, sophisticated, unique and innovative enterprises are included in the priority support scope.
In terms of the evaluation index system, the five first-level indicators of the national Specification – legal factors, management factors, market factors, financial factors, and social responsibility – are restructured into six dimensions: market competitiveness, legal factors, consumer perception, brand development, financial factors, and social responsibility. The indicator of relevant public brand awareness, previously a sub-item under market factors, is upgraded to an independent first-level indicator of consumer perception. A new independent first-level indicator of brand development is added, and the weighting of legal factors is increased.
In addition, the Specification further refines the evaluation procedures and dynamic management requirements. It adds credit verification and random on-site inspections, specifies a 7-day preliminary review announcement period, and adopts strict reconsideration voting rules. For certificate management, an annual review system is added based on the 3-year validity period. Certified entities are required to file major changes within 30 days. Specific circumstances for cancellation are supplemented, including loss of association membership and failure to use the trademark properly for six consecutive months, realizing standardized supervision throughout the process from application and certification to follow-up management.
The optimization and implementation of these standards provide international enterprises, professional service institutions, and relevant entities in the global brand evaluation and development sector with clear evaluation criteria, cooperation frameworks, and operation guidelines for distinctive local brands in Hunan. They serve as an important window for the international community to understand the rules of brand development and prioritize industrial cooperation in Hunan, and offer practical institutional references and action bases for participating in brand development and cross-border cooperation in the region.
Core Implications for Relevant International Stakeholders
1. International Enterprises Planning to Enter the Hunan Market and Cooperate with Local Enterprises
International enterprises may focus on priority sectors in Hunan such as geographical indication industries and specialized, sophisticated, unique and innovative fields, and conduct in-depth cooperation with local enterprises in line with Hunan’s brand evaluation requirements. Meanwhile, they shall comply with Hunan’s regulatory requirements, emphasize the standardized use of trademarks and preservation of usage evidence, focus on consumer perception and brand development planning, and adapt to Hunan’s local brand evaluation system. Furthermore, the membership requirement and annual review system provide clear operational guidelines for international enterprises engaged in brand evaluation and cooperation in Hunan.
2. International Professional Service Institutions Including Trademark Agencies and Brand Consultancies
This Specification serves as an important research sample for international trademark agencies, brand consultancies, intellectual property service institutions and other organizations to understand the localization characteristics of China’s brand evaluation system. Institutions may thoroughly study the detailed rules of this Specification to provide targeted professional services for international enterprises entering Hunan in trademark registration, brand evaluation planning, compliance management and other aspects. Meanwhile, they may take this Specification as a reference to explore the adaptation path of international brand evaluation standards in regional markets of China, and support Hunan’s local brands in going global and international brands in entering Hunan.
3. Relevant Entities in the Global Brand Evaluation and Development Sector
This Specification offers practical experience for professional institutions, research entities and relevant organizations worldwide that are engaged in building regional characteristic brand evaluation systems. Its elaborate design in legal compliance supervision, dynamic brand management and whole-process evaluation supervision provides useful references for global stakeholders to cultivate regionally distinctive brands and implement standardized management. It also demonstrates the latest progress in the development of local brand evaluation systems in China that respond to real market conditions.
Source：http://www.hnsbpp.org.cn/new/2268.html
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