Most talked about brands of September 2023: Applebee’s, Apple and DraftKings (US)

Several brands saw an upswing in Word of Mouth (WOM) Exposure in September 2023, according to data from YouGov BrandIndex. WOM Exposure measures how many people are talking about a brand with friends and family, whether in person, online or through social media.

Let’s examine the brands that generated conversations in the opening month of fall and assess the notable marketing moves that may have fueled the surge in word of mouth.

Applebee’s

WOM Exposure: 34% improvement

• New “to go” store: A franchisee store in Long Island, NY opened in September with a focus on food pickup lockers, to-go technology and maximizing the speed of service for delivery.
• Breaking economic barriers: A new study revealed that chain restaurants such as Applebee's are more likely to attract customers from different income brackets, representing a way to break down class barriers.
• “DOLLARITAS” are back: Priced at just a dollar, Applebee’s margaritas have made a return for October.
  

Apple

WOM Exposure: 19% improvement

• Release of iPhone 15: Apple continued its legacy of innovation with the much-anticipated launch of the iPhone 15, packed with new features such as a new “action button”, higher camera resolution and 1 terabyte memory storage capacity.
• Back-to-school deals: Apple’s annual back-to-school deals offer students and educators a chance to take advantage of special discounts, making Apple products more accessible for the academic community
• IOS 17: The latest version of iOS introduced a new feature for Apple Wallat — the ability to store and present several forms of identification including driver’s licenses, state IDs, student IDs and employee badges.

DraftKings

WOM Exposure: 78% improvement

• NFL season kickoff: DraftKings launched a major promotional campaign ahead of the kickoff to the NFL season to attract new customers.
• NFL fans taking notice: YouGov BrandIndex data reveals that among NFL fans (consumers who say the NFL is a top interest or express some interest in the NFL), WOM Exposure for DraftKings peaked at 13.2% in September, nearly 4 points higher than the general public’s peak score (9.8%).
  

Methodology

YouGov BrandIndex collects data on thousands of brands every day. A brand’s WOM Exposure score is based on the question: “Which of the following brands have you talked about with friends and family in the past two weeks (whether in person, online, or through social media)?” (% Yes). Data from surveys of adults aged 18 years and above residing in US from September 1st to 30th, 2023 WOM Exposure scores are based on a four-week moving average, with the change in scores for each brand calculated by taking the difference between the highest and lowest scoring days within the period. Learn more about BrandIndex.