2021 Prophet Brand Relevance Index® Features Majority New Brands in its Consumer-Ranked Top Ten

NEW YORK, NY – Global consultancy Prophet announced the results of the sixth Prophet Brand Relevance Index® (BRI), a ranking of the most relevant brands based on consumer feedback.

The top 10 most relevant brands of 2021 are:

1. Apple
2. Peloton
3. KitchenAid
4. Mayo Clinic
5. LEGO
6. Costco
7. Honda
8. Johns Hopkins
9. PlayStation
10. Amazon

Apple maintained its standing as the most relevant brand for the sixth year in a row, while brands like Peloton, Mayo Clinic, LEGO, Costco, Honda and PlayStation, took top spots for the first time. Notably, Disney dropped from No. 6 to No. 30, while Pinterest – the top social media brand – fell from No. 10 to No. 31. Johns Hopkins (No. 8) made it into the Index for the first time, while Apple, KitchenAid and Amazon held onto their positions in the top 10 from 2019.

Toy brands like Fisher-Price and American Girl made it into the top 50 for the first time, as families sought out brands that could keep their kids happy and entertained. Brands like Southwest Airlines, Nike, KitchenAid, Folgers, Peloton and Mayo Clinic stood out once again as leaders in their respective categories.

This year’s study found that brand relevance scores increased over 5 percent – showing that relevant brands are more important than ever. The top 10 brands shared a commitment to staying true to their purposes while adapting to changing consumer behaviors and expectations brought on by the coronavirus pandemic.

“Following 2020, a year that highlighted the essential role brands play in consumers’ lives, it’s been thrilling to discover which brands have won over the hearts and minds of consumers who have radically different expectations and behaviors,” said Marisa Mulvihill, Prophet partner and co-author of the BRI. “The top brands from this year’s BRI have found compelling ways to fill the missing needs of consumers dealing with the global pandemic – making them feel comfortable, nurtured and connected.”

The brands at the top of the Index found a way to evolve and meet the moment – using data and technology to accelerate their digital transformations both out of interest and necessity. They have a clear focus on creating digital experiences while tapping into the more human elements of their brands. The rise of the “human brand” allowed businesses to show empathy, acknowledge loss and suffering, and even spark joy in difficult times.

To find out which brands are the most relevant to U.S. consumers, Prophet surveyed 13,114 individuals about more than 228 brands across 25 categories. Their responses were measured on four foundational brand relevance principles: “Customer Obsession,” “Ruthless Pragmatism,” “Pervasive Innovation” and “Distinctive Inspiration.”

“This year’s data proved that consumers value brands more than ever,” said Scott Davis, chief growth officer at Prophet.  “As individuals around the world dealt with uncertainty and lost the ability to connect in person, they turned to the brands that tapped into their emotional needs by bringing them joy, comfort, purpose, truth and connectivity. It will be interesting to see if this year was a one-year shift in our BRI findings or if this will now become the new brand relevance norm.”

Prophet’s methodology places the consumer front and center, providing an authentic picture of the role brands play in their lives today. As a result, the Index provides tools for business leaders to identify areas of strength and ways to improve the relevance of their brands to achieve uncommon growth.

“The BRI reveals the kinds of insights that are truly indispensable to our clients– especially those that are looking to undergo customer-centric transformations,” said Mulvihill.

BRI Methodology

Prophet partnered with Dynata, the world’s largest first-party data and insights platform and a first-party consumer and professional data based on extensive, proprietary market research panels.

In the U.S., Prophet surveyed 13,114 consumers about more than 228 brands across 25 categories. Companies from all industries that contribute materially to U.S. household spending were included, except brands in the alcohol, tobacco and firearms categories or those engaged in primarily business-to-business categories. More information about the methodology can be found on the BRI website here.

The complete results can be found here.

About Dynata

Dynata is the world’s largest first-party data and insights platform. With a reach that encompasses over 62 million consumers and business professionals globally, and an extensive library of individual profile attributes collected through surveys, Dynata is the cornerstone for precise, trustworthy quality data. The company has built innovative data services and solutions around its robust first-party data offering to bring the voice of the customer to the entire marketing continuum – from strategy, innovation, and branding to advertising, measurement, and optimization. Dynata serves more than 5,500 market research, media and advertising agencies, publishers, consulting and investment firms and corporate customers in North America, South America, Europe, and Asia-Pacific. Learn more at www.dynata.com.

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