Tech brands might not be best loved by privacy groups and regulators alike but Google, Apple, Samsung, and Amazon – along with Nestlé – have been crowned the top five inspirational brands for 2021 in a new report designed to hail the top 100 most inspiring brands in the world today.
Judged on their ability to connect people in new ways, inspire people to think differently and elevate people’s lives to be better, this year’s Wunderman Thompson “Inspire Score: Top 100 2021”, saw Google jump to the top of the ranking.
This triumph has been put down to its relentless focus on simplifying the customer experience and changing what is possible when it comes to using the world’s information to help us better navigate in both the physical and digital worlds, the report states.
It is followed by Apple, a brand built on its call to unlock creative potential, and Samsung, whose philosophy in many territories is a clear promise to open new possibilities.
Ecommerce giant Amazon is fourth on the list, with its plans for growth spanning start-ups, supermarkets, and Hollywood studios, followed by Nestlé, which is committed to unlocking the power of food to enhance the quality of life for all.
The ‘Inspire Score: Top 100’ was first launched in 2020 as part of Wunderman Thompson’s global brand study, Inspiring Growth, claimed to be the world’s largest ongoing study into inspiration, which explores why brands need to be inspirational, how inspiration drives growth and what brands can do to inspire their customers.
The annual list tracks and analyses the brands that are best at inspiring their customers, revealing how inspiration affects a brand’s ability to drive growth in market share and command a price premium. The 2021 ranking is derived from WPP’s proprietary BAV dataset, with the 2020-21 data compiled from over 20,000 studies of 12,000 brands in 855 categories across 24 industries and 17 markets.
Key insights from the study include that from soft drinks to luxury goods, big brands across all categories are well represented within the list, with tech brands that constantly bring consumers’ new abilities taking the top spots.
Brands that have been especially useful during Covid-19, such as YouTube, Microsoft, Facebook, Netflix, WhatsApp, and Instagram are among some of the highest ranking, reflecting our need to feel connected and entertained during the pandemic.
Likewise, fast-food brands such as McDonald’s, Starbucks, Burger King and Domino’s Pizza are among the Top 50, demonstrating people’s desire for fast food during periods of lockdown around the world.
With the growing trend of ‘The Great Resignation’ following the shift in priorities and working arrangements that came with Covid-19, it is perhaps no surprise to see LinkedIn in the top half of the list, entering the ranking for the first time in 37th.
Wunderman Thompson global chief strategy officer Neil Dawson said: “Based on research into inspiration in the field of motivational psychology, we found that the most inspirational brands scored highly on three factors: Elevating (having a positive impact on society, improving people’s lives); Magnetic (make consumers feel like they’re making a popular, exciting choice); and Motivation (offer people a way to help accomplish their goals).
“Together these inspiration factors drive growth. The top brands for 2021 inspire people to think differently; proving brands have the power to ignite change and make the world a more inspiring place.”
Download the full ranking from the Wunderman Thompson website>
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