Creativity, disruption and advertising can together boost brand value by 265%

New research from Kantar Millward Brown reveals for the first time how creativity, disruption and great advertising can help companies grow their brand value at a far greater rate.

It might seem like a no brainer, but there is now evidence to suggest that a combination of creativity, disruption and great advertising has a significant impact on brand value and can boost it by as much as 265%.

In the first quantifiable research of its kind, Kantar Millward Brown used 12 years’ worth of BrandZ data to analyse 3.6 million consumer interviews comparing perceptions of 122,000 brands in 51 markets.

Brands that consumers perceive as creative but not disruptive have grown their brand value by an average of 69% over the period, while brands that consumers see as disruptive – those that ‘shake things up’ – but not creative have grown their value by 123%.

So it follows brands that are perceived to be creative and disruptive perform even better, generating an average brand value growth of 154%. Throw in ‘great advertising’ and brands have the opportunity to achieve a 265% boost.

READ MORE: The world’s most valuable brands revealed

“Creativity drives brand value to a certain level but combined with [being] disruptive, it is very powerful and can drive brand value growth faster than either pillar alone,” says Doreen Wang, global head of BrandZ.

“You have to be creative as a brand and consumers need to see that. But in the meantime you need to redefine your calibre and meet new needs of the consumer. You have to disrupt the status quo.”

As marketers, we keep talking about creativity for the sake of creativity. We know we need to be creative but we don’t know why.

Doreen Wang, BrandZ

Based on scores from its BrandZ Global Top 100 2018, Kantar says Disney (137, where 100 is the average score for a brand) and Apple (135) have done ‘disruptive creativity’ especially well, as have Netflix (130), Amazon (128) and Chinese retailer JD.com (127).

High scores can also be seen among the five-fastest risers in the top 100, with Tesla, Netflix, JD.com, Tencent and Chinese liquor brand Maotai scoring an average of 126 between them, while the eight newcomers to the ranking (JD.com, Uber, SF Express, Instagram, Adidas, BCA, HP, Spectrum) score an average of 117.

READ MORE: Adidas, Instagram and Uber enter the BrandZ top 100 for the first time

The seven brands that fell out of this year’s ranking scored 106 on this metric.

“The reason these brands are being perceived as innovative is not just because they invest more in research and development, but because they have done something which is impactful for society. It is not innovation for the sake of innovation,” Wang explains.

“They have a strong brand purpose and use communication very wisely to amplify their innovation and that gives them a true edge compared to other brands.”

Being creative is also important, Wang says, because it helps to drive long-term financial growth.

“As marketers, we keep talking about creativity for the sake of creativity. We know we need to be creative but we don’t know why,” she says.

“Sales are important but invest in brand building and the communication of innovation and you are driving long-term financial growth of your company.”

Read all  of Marketing Week’s Cannes Lions 2018 coverage, sponsored by MiQ, here.  

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