October 4th, 2023, Bhavika Bansal
H&M made improvements in twelve YouGov BrandIndex metrics to claim the YouGov Biggest Brand Movers top spot for September 2023 in the US.
Biggest Brand Movers is a monthly analysis highlighting the brands that make statistically significant improvements from the previous month in the brand metrics tracked by YouGov BrandIndex.
H&M
Leading up to the fall shopping season, H&M introduced its back-to-school collection tailored for children and announced the launch of the fall 2023 collection in stores and online in August. The Swedish fashion retailer also stated its intent to reopen most of its stores in Ukraine, beginning in November 2023.
Call of Duty: Warzone
Call of Duty: Warzone's surge in 10 of 13 brand metrics may be linked to the highly anticipated announcement of the game's "direct sequel". Activision revealed Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III at its Shadow Siege Limited Time Event inside Call of Duty: Warzone 2. The new Call of Duty Season 5 Reloaded update to both games brings new content to gamers including a new multi-player map and new weapons.
Assassin’s Creed
August witnessed a notable increase in Assassin's Creed's brand metrics, driven possibly by the excitement generated around the announcement that the new Assassin's Creed Mirage will be released on October 5, a full week ahead of its initial October 12 release date. The Assassin's Creed Mirage trailer was released by Ubisoft at Gamescon Opening Night Live 2023 and gives players another peek at the game's location and protagonist.
Carl’s Jr
The Stars for Heroes campaign, an annual campaign launched by CKE Restaurants - the parent company of Carl's Jr. - to support active military veterans and families in need might have led to increased media coverage and public attention in August. Additionally, the launch of limited-edition Carl's Jr. menu items and back-to-school promotions with free backpacks in Idaho could have contributed positively to the brand’s performance.
Cash App
Cash App also ticked eight metric boxes, including almost full marks under the brand perception column.
Bank of America
Bank of America's surge in brand metrics - especially brand perception metrics - can possibly be attributed to the press surrounding its prediction of a 'soft landing and no recession' for the U.S economy and its report on 'hardship withdrawals' Americans are making from their 401(k)s. The Bank of America also recently announced greater benefits for cardholders of the bank's Customized Cash Rewards Credit Card.
Western Union
Western Union, which recently launched a Retail CBDC (central bank digital currency) Pilot focussed on cross-border payments in partnership with the Digital Dollar Project also features in the list with gains in eight metrics spread across categories.
U.S. Bank
Set to receive a nearly USD 1 billion investment by Mitsubishi UFJ, U.S Bank witnessed an uptick in almost all media and brand perception metrics, possibly as a result of the U.S. Bank Stadium being named the best NFL stadium by The Athletic.
Google's announcement that it will invest more than USD 1 billion to support three data centre campuses in Ohio to help power its AI tech and other tools may have contributed to boosts in the brand's media metrics such as Ad Awareness, Word of Mouth Exposure and Buzz. Partnerships with major events like Rolling Loud Miami and collaborations with artists such as Beyoncé through tour merchandise could have further contributed to the brand's improved metrics. The tech giant is also all set to make changes to ad transparency to better comply with Europe's Digital Services Act.
L’Oreal Paris
Along with a rise across all brand perception metrics, L'Oreal Paris also saw an uptick in consideration for the month of August. The surge in the brand's performance may be linked to its announcement of the 2023 L'Oréal Paris Women of Worth, the 18th outing of the initiative that recognizes the commitment and charitable achievements of 10 non-profit leaders. In a first for the brand, this year consumers will be allowed to donate to benefit all 10 honorees in partnership with GlobalGiving. Australian singer and professional swimmer Cody Simpson was also recently named the face of L'Oreal Paris and is set to star in the brand's Men Expert skincare campaign.
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Methodology
Data for the Biggest Brand Movers compares statistically significant score increases across all BrandIndex metrics between the current and the previous month. Brands are ranked based on the number of metrics that saw a statistically significant increase from month to month. Metrics considered are:
Media & communication metrics:
Aided Awareness – Whether or not a consumer has ever heard of a brand
Ad Awareness – Whether a consumer has seen or heard an advertisement for a brand in the past two weeks
Word of Mouth Exposure – Whether a consumer has talked about a brand with family or friends in the past two weeks
Buzz – Whether a consumer has heard anything positive or negative about a brand in the past two weeks (net score)
Brand perception metrics
Impression – Whether a consumer has a positive or negative impression of a brand
Value – Whether a consumer considers a brand to represent good or poor value for money
Reputation – Whether a consumer would be proud or embarrassed to work for a particular brand
Satisfaction – Whether a consumer is currently a satisfied or dissatisfied customer of a particular brand
Recommend – Whether a consumer would recommend a brand to a friend or colleague or not
Quality – Whether a consumer considers a brand to represent good or poor quality
Purchase funnel metrics
Consideration – If a consumer would consider a brand or not the next time they are in the market for a purchase
Purchase Intent – Whether a consumer would be most likely or unlikely to purchase a specific product