The New Brand Perception Gap: How AI Changes the Way Brands Are Understood
Marketers have always understood that perception drives growth. Familiarity creates mental availability, meaningfulness creates relevance, and uniqueness protects a brand from becoming interchangeable. Most brand strategy, media investment, and creative work ultimately serve the same goal: shaping how people understand and value a company over time. A growing share of those perceptions now forms inside […]
The FIFA World Cup Audience Defined
BERA.ai’s data on FIFA World Cup brand positioning gives marketing and communications teams a clearer picture of where the strongest audience alignment exists and where opportunities still remain. How Audiences Perceive the FIFA World Cup At a broad level, the World Cup scores strongly on attributes tied to Universal Connection and Sophistication, indicating that audiences […]
Bold, Beautiful, and Divisive: What the Data Says So Far About Jaguar’s Rebrand
In November 2024, Jaguar embarked on a bold journey to redefine its identity and reshape its future. The luxury automaker unveiled a striking rebrand, signaling a commitment to sustainability and innovation with all-electric, ultra-luxury automobiles priced at $100k+ to shed outdated perceptions and attract wealthy young buyers. This move, aimed at repositioning Jaguar for a […]
Why Personal Connection with Gen Z Is Becoming an Advantage for Payment Brands
Payment brands are often framed as purely functional, shaped by speed, security, and access rather than identity or emotion. The data, however, suggests that for Gen Z, personal connection matters a lot to the strength of a brand and its contribution to business outcomes. BERA’s analysis across more than 2,000 brands shows that among Gen […]
How “Great Jeans” Reignited American Eagle With Gen Z
In July 2025, American Eagle launched its “Sydney Sweeney Has Great Jeans” campaign and immediately entered the center of cultural debate. Some audiences interpreted the creative as a confident, product-focused denim ad built around celebrity visibility, while others questioned its tone and timing. Public reaction was divided, yet the brand data reveals that the most […]
How to Build Brand Equity With Partnerships
When two brands come together with the right intent, they can expand reach, shift perception, and create stronger connections with the audiences that matter most. That’s why partnership investment continues to rise across industries, even as marketing teams face more pressure to prove impact. At the same time, many organizations still struggle to measure what […]
Lead with Meaning: How Brand Becomes the C-Suite’s Job
In the final episode of the Brand Builder’s Playbook, David Aaker and Dr. Marcus Collins explore why leadership, not advertising, is the real test of brand strength. Both see the same problem playing out across industries. Marketers talk about purpose and innovation, but too many still chase short-term wins that drain long-term value. Their call […]
The Proof Behind the Mix: How Gap Turns Culture Into Measurable Growth
Damon Berger, Head of Consumer Digital Engagement at Gap Inc., joined the Brand Builder’s Playbook to explain how marketing mix modeling becomes more than a finance tool. For him, it’s a mirror that reflects how well a brand connects with its customers. When you treat the model as a scorecard for relevance, not just return, […]
The Partnership Playbook: Math, Magic, and Measurable Growth
On this week’s episode of the Brand Builder’s Playbook, Kristen D’Arcy, chief marketing officer of True Religion, explained how her team turns cultural moments into brand momentum. She described the approach as “a little bit of math and magic,” which is a useful shorthand for a rigorous, audience‑first partnership system that still leaves room for […]
Brand Times Performance: Why the Best Marketers Stop Choosing Sides
Andrea Brimmer, CMO of Ally, joined The Brand Builder’s Playbook to tackle one of marketing’s longest-running false choices: brand versus performance. Her message was simple and sharp in that it should instead be brand times performance. The multiplier comes when demand generation and demand capture work as one system, owned by everyone from the CMO […]