Paypal, BMW, Dm: these are the Meaningful Brands

The Havas Group presents its latest "Meaningful Brands Report 2024" "The Rise of Change Makers" and sheds light on how people are developing a new form of resilience and aspiration in the midst of ongoing crises. The study, for which Havas and Yougov surveyed 156,500 people worldwide and more than 12,000 people in Germany, shows how brands can play a meaningful role in this complex landscape and what new expectations German consumers have of them.

Since 2008, the study has examined how brands can achieve a relevant position in people's lives. This year's report documents a society that is becoming more resilient in the face of rising inflation, social tensions and the climate crisis and calls on brands to make valuable contributions to people's lives.

Between "German Angst" and a spirit of optimism

Two years ago, the Collins Dictionary named "polycrisis" as its word of the year, but as 2024 draws to a close, "permacrisis" is a more apt description for a landscape in which climate change is escalating, the cost of living continues to rise, political differences are coming to a head and conflicts, violence and humanitarian crises are affecting millions of people around the world, according to Havas. The results of the study show that the "perma-crisis" is having a much greater impact in Germany than in the rest of the world: around three quarters of Germans see the world on a negative course - a more pessimistic view than worldwide. While respondents in other countries are also primarily concerned about the environment (65%), Germans are particularly worried about the local economy (60%), social division (57%) and the political landscape (54%).

Purpose is not enough: What is required of brands

With the ongoing crises and a new mindset, expectations of brands to provide concrete support are also growing: three quarters of Germans want companies to show humanity in difficult times and 7 out of 10 expect greater support for local communities. When it comes to sustainability in particular, almost three out of four Germans want brands to actively contribute to social improvement. Pure communication is not enough: "While brands have focused on purpose in recent years, this year's survey shows a trend towards progress - consumers expect concrete actions and solutions instead of superficial promises. Especially in times of crisis, people want to see that companies are taking responsibility and working for the common good," explains Helen Lauff, Director Business Intelligence Havas Media Germany.

In fact, only a few brands currently meet these requirements: Only 26 percent of brands are considered indispensable by Germans. They score points above all for their personal and collective benefits: for example, they make everyday life easier or help people to escape from everyday life, have products with a good reputation or a high degree of innovation in the area of sustainability. For Germans, the collective benefits in particular are gaining weight in percentage terms this year and emphasize that brands must offer far more than purely functional benefits. An investment that pays off: Germany's top meaningful brands are rated significantly better than other brands in important brand KPIs such as brand value (+19%), trust (+49%) and loyalty (+59%).

These brands will be very important to Germans in 2024

• Paypal
• BMW
• Dm
• Audi
• Mercedes-Benz
• Samsung
• Apple
• Ikea
• Ratiopharm
• Edeka
• Rewe
• Philadelphia
• Bosch
• Aldi South / North
• Bose
• Mediamarkt/Saturn
• Miele
• Kerrygold
• Rossmann
• Sony