How can brands thrive through turbulence, and shape success?

Our Brand Impact Index asked 7,000 US consumers to rank 297 brands against five components for better growth. The ranking was augmented by a survey of 370 brand executives in roles from director to chief officer, alongside in-depth conversations with decision-makers at brands across market segments.

The prominence of trusted yet transformative brands in the top 50 demonstrates consumers’ need for dependable experiences. These brands recognize that the ‘do it all’ age is over, and focus on making peoples’ lives tangibly better. Our economic analysis proves that delivering a better future for consumers also creates better growth: top performers grow stock price, revenue, and profit faster than competitors.

Not all brands are meeting consumers’ expectations. Consumers want dependable delivery, but brands are focusing elsewhere. And while the majority of executives say they’ve made significant strategy overhauls, consumers aren’t buying it. Only 39 percent agree that brands play a crucial role in improving society (down from 52 percent in 2025).

The shape of success

How are leading brands responding to consumer needs? A deep-dive into our executive research uncovers three brand cohorts – stallers, movers, and shapers. Shapers invest in growth, aligning investment with consumer needs. In contrast, movers are hesitant, pursuing small strategic shifts with less confidence. Stallers remain hesitant, and are ultimately left behind. When brands stall or make minimal moves, they risk irrelevance. But, by aligning investment with what consumers value most, they reap the rewards.

What does it take to succeed across five components for better growth? How can stallers and movers learn from shapers to deliver a better future and achieve better growth?

1. Dependable delivery

Brands that deliver dependably stand as trusted pillars of assurance and value, relentlessly focused on making life easier and better for consumers. But while dependable delivery is the most important component for consumers, it’s slipped down the priority list for brands. For a masterclass in dependability, look to BAND-AID, the highest-ranked brand for dependable delivery (and of the overall Index). Since the 1920s, BAND-AID has iterated its core range of bandages while expanding its products in a way that make sense for consumers.

Shapers prioritize dependability in investment decisions, recognizing the need to specialize and reduce portfolio complexity. Stallers and movers can learn from shapers by:

• Reducing portfolio complexity
• Designing operating models that enable reliable, repeatable delivery
• Maintaining a resilient supply chain to ensure consistent delivery.

2. Intelligent innovation

Intelligent innovation, the second strongest driver of brand engagement, is about pioneering winning products, services, and experiences that impact lives and shape culture. But, in constrained markets, innovation needs to do more than excite. It has to be intuitive, and answer consumers’ needs. Gaming giant PlayStation, this year’s top brand for intelligent innovation, has spearheaded gaming innovations from CD-ROM storage through to 3D graphics and third-party developer ecosystems. “We’re using innovation to make discovery more intuitive, to bring our stories to life in new ways, and to extend the PlayStation experience beyond the console,” says Mary Yee, Senior Vice President of Marketing at Sony Interactive Entertainment. 

Attitudes towards AI are an important differentiator here. Shapers transform AI pilots into high-value use cases that support innovation. Movers are on their AI journey, while shapers stay stuck in pilot purgatory. Stallers and movers can learn from shapers by:

• Using AI to improve innovation success rates
• Enabling test-and-learn approaches into development and delivery
• Building partnerships to accelerate innovation.

3. Customer centricity

Customer centricity is about deeply understanding consumers to infuse joy into everyday life, and nurturing long-lasting, loyal relationships. It’s the top investment priority for brands, but without dependability, their investment could flounder. The opportunity lies in plugging high-quality insights into intelligent tools, enhancing decisions for specific customers. Once Upon A Farm has built an entire business for one consumer segment: millennial parents that check ingredients and pay for provenance. An impressive 34 percent of new customers find the brand through word-of-mouth, showing that the product experience matches target consumer needs.

Rather than respond reactively, shapers proactively anticipate and design for consumer needs . Yet they’re uncertain that investments in customer centricity will deliver sufficient ROI, hinting at the need to reprioritize. Stallers and movers can learn from shapers by:

• Building loyalty and retention programs
• Deploying AI to convert consumer data into real-time insight and action
• Creating always-on listening and feedback loops.

4. Sustainable stewardship

Sustainable stewardship places sustainable approaches at the heart of purpose and every decision, building a better world and inspiring consumers. While sustainability might not be a primary motivator for purchases, consumers want to feel good about their purchases. When applied selectively, sustainability enhances brand relevance, reputation, and resilience. Take Under Armour – the sportswear brand invested in a biodegradable clothing and footwear manufacturer, ensuring sustainability is a foundation, not a feature.

Shapers take practical action to right-size sustainability, finding high-impact areas where sustainability serves strategy and vice versa. Stallers and movers can learn from shapers by:

• Improving supplier transparency
• Prioritizing high-impact, economically viable sustainability initiatives
• Right-sizing sustainability commitments to what they can fund and deliver.

5. Community connection

Community connection is about championing causes close to consumers’ hearts, giving something back while forging connections that transcend transactions. It’s not just a philanthropic motivation – it’s a strategic opportunity. Fitness technology company Wahoo has created a community ecosystem of ‘Wahooligans’ who use the brand’s flagship fitness equipment as well as its training plans, supplements, and trackers. However, community connection is the lowest area of investment for brands.

Shapers recognize the power of community – over 90 percent plan to increase investment in community connection, versus just 66 percent of stallers. Stallers and movers can learn from shapers by:

• Bringing consumers together around shared interests, goals, and lived experiences
• Creating clear pathways for consumer feedback, co-creation, and participation
• Helping community members build skills, gain recognition, and access opportunities.

Don’t watch the future unfold – shape it

In markets defined by turbulence, brands can take advantage of uncertainty by going where the growth is. Success is about homing in on what really matters to consumers – not doing more, but doing better. That’s what separates shapers from the rest of the herd. They act first, and accelerate furthest.

Brands don’t have to do it all. But by aligning their investments with consumers’ priorities, they will shape a better future for consumers and secure long-term relevance in ever-morphing markets.