We wanted to honor those brands which are setting a new standard for success with Kantar’s inaugural Brand Blueprint Awards, held in the sunshine of this year’s Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity on June 17.
We came together with 13 senior marketing leaders from some of the world's most successful brands to celebrate the best examples of innovation and excellence across the Blueprint’s three levers for growth, judged on objective, quantifiable measures drawn from billions of attitudinal and behavioral data points.
Highlights from the ceremony
Most Meaningfully Different Brand for 2024 went to IKEA, for consistently resonating with people as quality yet affordable – a vital message as consumers globally face a cost-of-living crisis. Meanwhile Corona took home the award for Fastest Rising Brand Driven by Meaningful Difference. Kantar’s experts lauded the brand for inspiring people to disconnect from stress and routine and celebrate the power of reconnecting with our true nature, through nature, helping it re-enter our BrandZ index as the world's most valuable beer brand.
Kahlúa and Heineken were rewarded for the effectiveness of their advertising, demonstrating remarkable creativity and engagement on social media and TV. Mondelez was named Most Consistently Effective Advertiser, putting its products at the heart of inclusive stories to connect with as many people as possible. Meanwhile, TENA’s Legend campaign for its male incontinence pads was named Most Progressive Ad, having using gentle humor to tap into the male psyche in a way that left its target audience feeling understood, empowered and in control.
We honored four brands for their efforts in converting shoppers and consistently building buyer growth. Nearly 25 million new households bought Oreo cookies last year, making it a clear winner for Best Brand for Shopper Conversion in Food & Beverages; Sunsilk was awarded the equivalent title in Beauty & Homecare having achieved a phenomenal 27 million additional households by tailoring products to local markets. New products and innovations like Doritos’ Dinamita range and its Silent noise-cancelling app for gamers helped it achieve both 32% penetration growth over five years and our Most Consistent Shopper Growth in Food & Beverages award, while an expansion into natural and holistic oral care products that drove a 21% penetration gain saw Closeup win the award in the Beauty & Homecare category.
The award for most Meaningfully Different Innovation in FMCG went to Diageo. Products like Nitrosurge, which helps people pour a perfect Guinness at home, and new low and no-alcohol and dairy-free ranges have given it a name as an inclusive brand that’s available to all.
Full list of winners
- Most Meaningfully Different Brand: IKEA
- Fastest Rising Brand Driven by Meaningful Difference: Corona
- Most Creative Effective Ad in Digital/Social: Kahlúa for "Gasp"
- Most Creative Effective Ad in TV: Heineken for H150 Whateverken
- Most Consistently Effective Advertiser: Mondelez
- Most Progressive Ad: TENA for TENA Men Legend
- Best Digital Ad Platform: Amazon
- Meaningfully Different Experience: Air France
- Best Brand for Shopper Conversion (Food & Beverages): Oreo
- Best Brand for Shopper Conversion (Beauty & Homecare): Sunsilk
- Most Consistent Buyer Growth (Food & Beverages): Doritos
- Most Consistent Buyer Growth (Beauty & Homecare): Closeup
- Most Meaningfully Different Innovation: Diageo
These awards celebrate the brands that are guiding lights for the industry, showcasing marketing’s role as a powerful driver of growth, and how a deep understanding of consumer behavior can lead to outstanding results.
For a comprehensive look at the insights and strategies that propelled these brands to the top, explore our Blueprint for Brand Growth.