Core performance data of Wanrong Apple brand building

This dataset contains the processed data and analysis results supporting Table 2 of the manuscript entitled "Art-driven agricultural branding: economic returns and value chain upgrading – a case study of Wanrong Apple", submitted to Cogent Food & Agriculture (Open Research). The dataset includes: - Regional public brand value of Wanrong Apple for the years 2020, 2023, and 2025 (source: China Fruit Brand Value Evaluation Research Group, CARD China Agricultural Brand Research Center, Zhejiang University); - Total output value of Wanrong County's fruit industry for 2019 and 2023 (source: Wanrong County Government public data); - Apple output, output value, and planting area data; - Calculated indicators including cumulative brand value growth rate (42.2%), average annual growth rate (approx. 7.3%), and comparison with the national average benchmark (6.5%); - Detailed data source descriptions and calculation notes. All values are compiled from publicly available sources as cited in the reference list of the manuscript. No new primary data were created or analyzed in this study. This dataset is provided to ensure transparency and reproducibility of the analysis presented in the paper. Users are encouraged to cite both this dataset and the original manuscript when using these data. For any questions regarding this dataset, please contact the corresponding author: Xin Xiao ([e-mail]).