More choice, more access, more control – this year’s most relevant brands enable consumers to have personalized experiences and connect with people from the comfort and safety of their own homes. Prophet, the global consultancy, announced the results of its seventh Prophet Brand Relevance Index^® (BRI), a ranking of the most relevant brands based on consumer feedback.

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The top 10 most relevant brands of 2022 are:

Brand relevance correlates with growth and value for investors. While the most relevant brands in the BRI make up 1% of S&P 500 constituents, they represent 10% of the index’s $17 trillion value. The top 50 BRI brands experience 133% higher revenue growth than other S&P 500 companies.

After two years in pandemic mode, enabling consumers to engage with others even while isolated is a big priority, according to the BRI. The biggest brands – Apple, Peloton, Spotify, Bose, Android – are tech fueled, can be personalized and help people connect human-to-human without leaving the house. They provide opportunities for people to become part of communities with passionate individuals who have shared interests whether it is swapping their favorite Instant Pot recipes, playing PlayStation with fellow gamers or competing against friends to see who can track the most steps on their Fitbit.

Brands that enable self-improvement and wellness also performed well in the ranking. Calm made a huge debut, ranking 15^th in this year’s BRI. TED, the popular keynote series bringing education and life lessons in an easy digestible form, ranked 9^th on the list and Teladoc Health, enabling users to stay on top of their health, made it into the top 25.

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“Whether it’s a wearable health tracker providing customers with personalized workout challenges and goals or a streaming service enabling users to create the perfect playlist, brands that put consumers in charge of how and when they engage win across the board,” said Marisa Mulvihill, partner and head of brand and activation at Prophet. “Even as the pandemic subsides, preferences for user-led engagement are not going away. To stay relevant with consumers, brands will have to think about how they can put their customers in the driver seat and deliver personalized and customized experiences.”

Prophet surveyed more than 13,500 individuals about more than 293 brands across 27 categories. The BRI ranks brands according to how relentlessly relevant they are to consumers. This year a new pattern of relevance emerged: Brands are finding success in our new normal by connecting with us as humans—by appealing to the head and the heart. The brands that appeal primarily to our heads are problem solvers. These ruthlessly pragmatic, pervasively innovative brands fuel the current need for self-reliance and DIY confidence. While brands that speak to the heart are customer-obsessed and distinctively inspired – turning consumers into fans, loyalists and collectors.

Emerging from homes into the world

For the second year in a row, the top 25 brands strongly represent an aspect of home life. From Amazon to Costco, Instant Pot to Dyson, LEGO to Marvel, all can be seen as supporting players in the pandemic reality where the household is at the center of everyone’s world.

But there are signs that consumers are ready to come out of hibernation. Sephora (32) and Ulta (53) rose in relevance from the previous year. Planet Fitness (26) and Crossfit (48) were both ranked in the top 50 indicating a desire to return to in-person exercise experiences. Hospitality brand Hilton (58) jumped up the rankings and Ritz Carlton (81) made an impressive debut on the list signaling that people are ready to see the world again.

How to become a staple in people’s day to day lives

The top brands that consumers can’t imagine living without are relentlessly relevant. They are equal parts head and heart – solving everyday problems while making consumers feel delight and joy.

Scott Davis, Prophet chief growth officer added, “People are always changing, which means relevance is a moving target. Our Index includes frontrunners and underdogs, as these companies were able to read cultural phenomena like DIY, self-help, and pandemic exhaustion, and address these trends with their products and services.”

The most relevant brands provide a must-have service while delivering unforgettable experiences that make us feel alive.

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