Citizen Brands 2025: A study & framework
‘May you live in interesting times’ – so goes the phrase.
And they do feel pretty interesting.
Mass urbanisation, shifting demographics, tech disruption and climate change are shaking up the world as we know it. Add in cultural polarisation, siloed living and a growing tendency to experience the world through our smartphones, and fragmentation has become the norm.
In the face of all this upheaval, brands are struggling to connect to what people want, need and expect.
Are the days of purpose-led organisations and a commitment to people and planet over? Will we see a full throttle return to profit over principles? How, amid all this fragmentation, can brand leaders better connect to their audiences and drive growth?
To start, we’ve identified the three main areas of disconnect facing brands today. They may sound familiar.
So what’s the solution? We believe to drive growth in times of disconnection, brands have to do what they’re good at. Connect. To the people they sell to and those they employ. To the society they rely on and operate within. In a disconnected world, connection becomes a strong currency.
Citizen Brands are brands proven to drive growth by connecting to people and society. They bake this into and across the brand mix. And they’re proven to outperform their peers across a number of key metrics.
In this year’s report, we explore how brands are performing across five categories – and what we can learn from those leading the charge (the likes of Nike Training Club, Nubank and Red Bull Racing).
Download the free report to find out:
- How to drive growth in your category
- The six growth levers that drive purchase intent, positive sentiment and employee loyalty
- The importance of reliability across the brand mix.
*Comparing top 17 with bottom 17
** Based on analysis of Citizen Brands 2024 data comparing top 20 with bottom 20, with special thanks to Gate One, Havas’ flagship management consultancy.