FutureBrand Consumer Index reveals brands are missing a key

Brands that have built and maintained strong relationships with consumers top the rankings, with Gerber ranking first, followed by Tide, Gatorade, Clorox and Crest.

The FutureBrand Consumer Index shares takeaways and reveals the path to brand success

NEW YORK, June 4, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The consumer brand landscape is facing a critical juncture, according to insights from the inaugural FutureBrand Consumer Index. Unveiled today, the FutureBrand Consumer Index reveals the gaps between consumer expectations and brand performance, highlighting the need for brands to further foster innovation, authentic connections and meaningful experiences. Highlighting the challenges and opportunities that define this pivotal moment, the FutureBrand Consumer Index provides an exploration of brand potential and a roadmap to success.

To better understand consumer perceptions, a brand-led business transformation company FutureBrand examined 100 consumer packaged goods brands deeply rooted in consumers' lives across 18 core attributes, including mission, innovation, indispensability, consistency, personality and transparency, among others. The study found that despite relentless efforts, most brands fail to achieve relevance, miss key growth opportunities and succumb to a phenomenon dubbed “blandification.”

“Despite the considerable time, energy and resources devoted to many consumer brands, most are not reaching their full potential,” said Jon Tipple, director of global strategy at FutureBrand. “Traditional marketing approaches and formulas of thinking appear increasingly ineffective, paving the way for 'clinginess' in consumer brand categories and segments. The findings from the FutureBrand Consumer Index offer actionable next steps to help brand marketers re-evaluate their strategies and challenge traditional brand-building norms so they can win with consumers.

Brands leading the FutureBrand Consumer Index include Gerber, ranked No. 1, followed by Tide, Gatorade, Clorox and Crest.

Additionally, the FutureBrand Consumer Index revealed key insights, such as:

• Consumer brands face a “relevance gap” in the minds of consumers. Brands excel at consistency, one of the weakest drivers of brand affinity, and underperform at fluency (“this brand understands me”), the top driver of brand affinity . By focusing their energy on consistency rather than connecting with consumers, brands are missing the point.
• Brands can create more meaningful connections with consumers by meeting their personal needs. In a world where self-care and self-development are increasingly vital, people are paying more attention to their individual needs. Solving real-world problems for consumers is just one way brands are bridging the relevance gap and forging deeper connections.
• Consumer brands can take inspiration from corporate brands. When comparing the results of the last FutureBrand Index, enterprise/B2B brands not only maintain, but also increase their relevance, surpassing some consumer brands to meet customer needs. Consumer brands could benefit from adopting innovative strategies from their corporate counterparts.

“Taking innovative approaches is not only beneficial, it is imperative for the survival of even the most iconic consumer brands. Without the ability of brands to adapt, innovate and create real connections with consumers, stagnation and irrelevance loom on the horizon,” said Lynne Field, Head of Strategy at FutureBrand America. North. “Our research highlights the urgency of closing the “relevance gap” identified in the current consumer landscape. However, we view this gap not as a threat, but as a gateway to transformative growth.

As a leading brand company, FutureBrand regularly publishes indexes that rank or reorganize well-known brands based on their perceptual strength to create unique brand rankings. All published indices seek to attest to the future-proofing power of connecting brand purpose and the audience's everyday experience and to identify the companies that are most successful in this mission-critical effort.

FutureBrand partnered with QRi Consulting to conduct its first Consumer Brand Index, evaluating 100 brands based on their purpose and experience across 18 critical attributes. Conducted between January 15 and 25, 2024, QRi Consulting conducted online interviews with 3,021 U.S. consumers who said they were aware of and familiar with the brands discussed.

To learn more about the FutureBrand Consumer Index, visit

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About FutureBrand
We are a global brand company delivering world-class strategy, design and experience in more than 20 offices around the world. For businesses in times of change, transition and transformation, we are purpose-built to tackle the world's most complex brand challenges. Our belief is that when you rebrand, you change the future.

In all our work, we aim to balance brand purpose with everyday experience. This formula, proven through our FutureBrand Index methodology, positions your brand to drive future growth in an ever-changing world. Our clients include American Airlines, Nestlé, Sanofi, Barilla, Bentley, McDonald's and, most recently, Air India. For more information, visit futurebrand.com.

About QRi
QRi Consulting is FutureBrand's global research partner for the FutureBrand Index. Working closely with FutureBrand, QRi helped define the research approach, managed recruitment, questionnaire development and provided in-depth analysis of the qualitative and quantitative data underlying the report. The results draw on QRi's extensive brand and industry research, knowledge and experience, as well as its proprietary QualiQuant methodologies.

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