Hottest Brands of the Summer

Hottest Brands of the Summer

Analysis

05.25.2023

Daniella Rodriguez, Senior Analytical Brand Strategist

Memorial Day is Behind Us -- So it's the Unofficial Start of Summer!
Hottest Brands of Summer 2023 | BAV Group

Everyone has their summer-favorites, but we at BAV Group wanted to bring data to this opinion party to understand which brands are hot in consumers' minds.

To identify the hottest brands going into the summer, we considered major lifestyle and cultural trends. Connection, wellness and pop culture stood out immediately as the criteria for this list. Ultimately, we looked for brands that fulfill at least one of the criteria: Connection, Wellness and Pop Culture.

Brands that struck a chord on these three criteria surged in their popularity and are ranked as being in the top 10% of the most popular brands in culture, based on Brand Asset Valuator® (BAV) data.

  1. Connection - Desire for increased connection has never been greater than after the pandemic, and summer sets the stage for getting together with friends and family outdoors, through travel and experiences.
  2. Wellness – Overall wellbeing – both physical and mental – are top of mind, especially post-COVID, resulting in greater intentional mindfulness in consumers decision making process. Even though summer is a season of free-spirited decadence, consumers will continue to prioritize taking care of themselves.
  3. Pop Culture - What are people talking about heading into the summer? Major events influence the conversations of the moment, whether it’s the FIFA World Cup, the final season of Succession or the rise of Twitter 2.0.

As the world’s largest and longest running study of brands, BAV measures over 4000 brands in the US across 75 different brand metrics.

Brands that struck a chord on these three criteria exhibited the most energy and momentum in their respective categories and surged in their popularity. As a result, they are ranked as being in the top 10% of the most popular brands in culture.

  • Airbnb: As vacation season arrives, consumers are thinking about their next getaway. Airbnb offers unique accommodations and experiences that let consumers immerse themselves on their own terms.
  • Liquid IV: A hydration hack that promises to help you make the most of your upcoming summer activities. Liquid IV A convenient punch of wellness, Liquid IV packets provide key vitamins and minerals to keep you from missing out on all the great outdoor activities of the season.
  • White Claw: The ultimate summer drink, White Claw took the low-ABV market by storm during its rapid rise during the summer of 2019. Even today, as temperatures intensify, so does consumer desire to crack open a White Claw. 
  • Lululemon: Forbes recently remarked on Lululemon’s ability to “drive brand awareness and loyalty by thinking beyond their product offering”. The brand has become more invested in sharing experiences focused on wellness and community building than ever before. As consumers look for more opportunities to connect this summer, these activations only stand to bolster Lululemon’s foothold in the market.
  • Yeti: Being outdoors and connecting with the people you love over food and drinks is central to the summer experience. Yeti has been known to take an innovative spin on a timeless product, like the cooler. Going beyond their quality and longevity promises to build a distinctive and community-centric approach, fostering a base of loyalists all over the country.
  • Kylian Mbappe: The soccer heat wave continues to surge across the US, and rising star Kylian Mbappe’s fanbase continues to grow. Coming out off a stunning World Cup campaign, Mbappe is growing in Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi’s rear-view mirror, quickly becoming one of the most marketable athletes in the world.
  • Hinge: Summertime is the ideal backdrop to making the connection of a lifetime. As the app that wants you to delete it, Hinge is top of mind for people heading into a summer that looking to find their person, or even new friends and put themselves out there.
  • Ticketmaster: No better way to enhance your summer experience than with one of the many festivals, concerts and sports events of the season. Ticketmaster helps people create memories that will last long after the summer is over.

 

Make your brand sizzle this summer. Let's talk!

 


Co-authors:Tanay Sharma and Daniella Rodriguez

TANAY SHARMA
Tanay is a Brand Strategist who joined BAV Group in 2020. He is fascinated by the role brands play in shaping businesses, consumer behavior, and culture at large, and works with clients to help them leverage quantitative and qualitative insights to craft purposeful brand strategies. Prior to joining BAV, Tanay worked in advertising and strategy roles at Snapchat and Ogilvy, where he helped brands establish relevance and tell compelling stories.

Tanay recently graduated from New York University with B.A in Economics and a minor in the Business of Entertainment, Media, and Technology. In his spare time, he loves to travel and explore different experiences and cultures.

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tanaysharma97/

DANIELLA RODRIGUEZ
Daniella is an Analytical Brand & Social Strategist who joined BAV Group in 2020, working to help clients leverage both BAV and BAVSocial. Prior to joining BAV group Daniella had worked in content strategy and consumer insights for the television and film industry. Daniella has a strong ambition to leverage data creatively so to develop innovative storytelling that enhances brand strategy. She recently graduated from the University of Chicago with a B.A in Sociology specializing in psycho-sociology. For her thesis she conducted research on the role and effects of gender in pharmaceutical marketing. Daniella is fluent in Spanish and amateur oil painter.

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/daniella-l-rodriguez-423586a5/

Other articles by this author: