Heritage brands Heinz and Colgate remain the 'most connected' brands, says report
One striking observation coming out of the top 50 of our Most Connected Brands Report is the huge number of companies founded a long time ago. Thirty one of them were founded before 1950 and thirteen all the way back in the nineteenth century. The oldest, Colgate, ranked twentieth in our index, was founded in 1806.
On an average Saturday morning, most consumers interact with a range of most connected brands founded in the nineteenth century, whether it’s through a nice cup of Tetley and a chocolate McVitie’s, or by popping out to Morrison’s, Sainsbury’s, John Lewis or Boots.
With so much choice for consumers, it is hugely impressive that these brands have remained so relevant for so long.
Of course, the huge challenge for all of them is to consistently satisfy consumer expectations in a modern world when they were established over one or two centuries ago. These brands have triumphed because they are not only constantly challenging their business models and endlessly innovating, but because most of them have also successfully used the magic of their ‘heritage’ to stay connected with consumers throughout the ages.
Founded in 1869, Heinz, for example, has been around a long time. While Heinz constantly innovates and pushes boundaries across the majority of its products and formats, its cornerstone products maintain 150 years of consistency and invoke warm nostalgic feelings for today’s consumers, in much the same way as they did for their parents growing up. It’s no surprise to see Heinz as the third most connected consumer brand in the UK.
Heritage is all about a connection to the past, and it can be absolute gold dust to brands that harness its power. But it's not just about longevity. Brands still need to remain relevant to consumers by constantly innovating, and our most connected brands have done just that. Heritage is a strong foundation but these brands have still modernised year-on-year to avoid becoming outdated and irrelevant to consumers’ needs.
A huge number of our most connected brands have used heritage to help boost a strong emotional connection to consumers by establishing and re-establishing a connection to the past, generating high levels of nostalgia. In uncertain economic times where there are increasing levels of distrust in big corporations, genuine quality and authenticity are certainly key selling points. In hard times people also look for comfort from the past, searching for nostalgic moments from simpler times, a desire to connect to something that has meaning and looking for comfort in the familiar.
Consistently getting this right, obsessively staying in touch with consumer needs and innovating as if your brand depends on it, will mean consumers continue to feel connected to your brand now and well into the future, just as they have for the past 200 years.
Opinium's Most Connected Brands Report can be found here.
James Endersby, chief executive, Opinium
Content by The Drum Network member:
Opinium
We help our clients harness the power of insight to build, grow, promote and make strategic business decisions. Find out more at www.mostconnectedbrands.com
Opinium...