An analysis of five representative international influence rankings of Chinese city brands indices reveals that Beijing and Shanghai occupy the first tier，while Guangzhou consistently ranks among the top cities in the second tier. Overall，Guangzhou’s international brand influence corresponds with its comprehensive urban strength，though its performance in global city indices surpasses its city brand influence rankings. This discrepancy indicates that Guangzhou’s urban development achievements and city tier status have not been fully communicated and showcased internationally，further highlighting deficiencies in the city’s brand marketing capabilities. There is an urgent need to develop city brand marketing strategies commensurate with Guangzhou’s urban tier status，strengthen international communication capacity building，and shape the city’s brand image to significantly enhance its global influence. Current priorities should focus on core elements，key drivers，and critical junctures of international city brand communication by：establishing clear objectives，benchmarking against global leaders，building communication platforms，optimizing dissemination channels，and innovating content creation. This requires consolidating multi-stakeholder consensus，aggregating communication resources，integrating diverse media matrices，and stimulating creative participation to construct an international communication framework with Guangzhou characteristics，Chinese features，and global appeal. The ultimate goals are to enhance the distinctiveness，visibility，reputation，accessibility，and recognition of Guangzhou’s international brand image，effectively narrate China’s and Guangzhou’s stories，refine the city brand，and amplify urban charm.