The difference that makes a difference
Brands grow by being meaningfullydifferent to more people
Pivot to prosper
In the commerce of daily life, change can be the friend or foe of brands. A brand stands still, and the world moves on; a brand adapts, and opportunity unfolds. There is no room for complacency when the measure of success is drawn by those who embrace recalibration.
This year's Brand Footprint report delves into the world of adaptation and explores how successful brands understand the power of the pivot. They connect the ‘why’ to the ‘what’ with precise monitoring of shifts in consumer motivations, intentions, circumstances, and behaviour. The result? They recruit more shoppers by being meaningfully different to more people and being more present.
So how have they achieved this in an environment where less costs more, private labels are gaining share, and the discounter channel wins more baskets? Put simply, they have found ways to be meaningfully different even when the average household brand repertoire holds steady at 62. That’s right, the topline number of 62 brands hasn’t budged, yet we've witnessed significant shifts within these choices. This is where the magic happens.
It’s what happens when brands create strong functional and emotive connections — predisposing more people and earning a path to the winner’s circle. It’s about making your brand more present — mentally available and physically unavoidable — integrating seamlessly across all consumer touchpoints.
And it is doing so as pressure on household expenses persists as a stubborn undercurrent in the global economy. Yes, inflation is easing for many, but that doesn’t mean prices are going down. Value-hunting is a clear and present demand from consumers. However, somewhat paradoxically, we also see brands using their pricing power to ramp up their offer of premium product variants — everything from ice cream to shampoo — for enjoyment in the home.
Locally informed, globally aware
At Worldpanel, we’re fortunate to have both a global and local view. Indeed, we’ve added even more markets to our coverage for this report, including big developing markets in Africa. Why is this important? Because 64% of global consumer choices take place in emerging markets. These growth environments, which can only get bigger with the tailwinds of population and investments, are important to recognise. In this report, we dig into the stories of emerging market giants and local rocket ship brands, including an eye-opening interview with Mayank Shah from Parle, India’s largest food company that continues to find ways to grow its footprint.
The winners are also those who transcend competition by finding new space. In this year’s report, we shed light on how and where brands found new space through the lenses of 55 markets and a spread of over 42,800 brands. We also bring analysis underscoring the reality that brands doubling down on innovation to discover the most incremental spaces — whether through new occasions, targets, or needs — are those redefining their trajectory.
By stretching into uncharted territories, these brands find pathways to new shoppers, and more shoppers. In fact, our data reveals a compelling narrative: brands that expanded their use cases by just 10% witnessed a striking 17% growth. This is a clarion call for brands to carve out new avenues for consumer connection through astute product development, judicious category management, and resonant purpose.
To illustrate such cleverness, we spotlight the remarkable story of Red Bull, a beacon of growth in what many might have assumed was the saturated category of energy drinks. Alongside Red Bull, Sunsilk’s strategy to win more shoppers than any other brand exemplifies how understanding and leveraging consumer desires can lead to remarkable gains. We offer example after example of others who cracked the code to find more shoppers.
As you’ll see, these case studies are practical blueprints for leveraging what we believe are critical growth accelerators: predisposing more people to your brand, being more present, and finding new space for engagement.
We believe the insights from Brand Footprint can directly inform brand success because, ultimately, every strategy, campaign, and marketing investment converge at a pivotal moment — the shopper’s final choice. Our rankings, showcased in this report, distinctly capture this moment of truth, confirming the ultimate expression of shopper conversion. We extend our deepest gratitude to our global partners, whose collaboration is essential in bringing this to life.
Welcome to Brand Footprint 2024, where data meets decision, insight meets action, and challenges pave the way for opportunities.
This year’s rankings are especially exciting, with considerable shifts and new markets debuting in our biggest brand roundup ever. Coca-Cola secures the number one position yet again, but look out for some surprise moves.
