The situation

Several years ago, leading consultancy Prophet recognized that their clients were facing a challenging new business reality: intensifying competition from powerful global brands on one side and agile, entrepreneurial start-ups on the other, enabled by disruptive digital technologies and rapid shifts in consumer behavior.

Prophet considered a host of brand qualities that contribute to establishing and maintaining growth in this environment. They found that consumer relevance – the ability to create products and services that consumers love enough to integrate enthusiastically into their everyday lives – was the strongest predictor of long-term revenue growth.

The challenge

To create what became the Prophet Brand Relevance Index® (BRI), Prophet undertook a focused process to identify attributes and measures that accurately define consumer relevance. They tested their hypotheses with exploratory studies that included hundreds of consumer interviews. They also tested different research approaches and methodologies. The core of Prophet’s business is focused on helping their clients drive growth, so they wanted to measure brand relevance with a depth and granularity that would reveal actionable insights. As a global consultancy with clients across multiple industries in the U.S., U.K., Europe and Asia, they needed to survey consumers around the world about thousands of brands.

The solution

As the BRI took shape, Prophet recognized that the mechanics of programming, hosting, and fielding the study, along with the data it yielded, would require a research partner with significant resources and expertise at a global scale. After reviewing the providers they had worked with, they chose Dynata, citing three principal reasons:

1. Panel size, scale and quality: With the number of brands Prophet needed to include, they realized they would need to survey between 40,000 and 50,000 consumers around the world. The Dynata panel was easily large enough to accommodate such a study. Prophet also knew the Dynata panel was double-locked and comprised of responsive panelists, ensuring a high degree of confidence in the survey findings.
2. Operational expertise: Prophet knew from experience that Dynata had the expertise to handle the complexities involved in planning and executing a survey of this size and scope, as well as the infrastructure to deliver prompt, accurate reporting and the experienced professionals to assist with back-end data analysis.
3. Trust: degree of trust in the commitment of the Dynata team to work Most of all, Prophet had a high collaboratively as a true partner, providing the level of responsive service that such a complex project would require.

The results

In 2015, Prophet conducted two pilot studies in the U.S. The first was a test-of-concept involving just 30 brands and 500 completed surveys, followed several months later by a more robust study of 400 brands with 10,000 completed surveys, capturing more than 50,000 brand ratings.

The results were so compelling in demonstrating the link between consumer relevance and financial growth that Prophet quickly moved to expand the study, creating the first global Brand Relevance Index in early 2016. Prophet has repeated and enhanced the study every year since.

The 2018 Brand Relevance Index surveyed 47,845 consumers about 803 brands. In addition to supporting Prophet’s consulting practice with detailed insights into how brands achieve relevance, the Index generates visibility worldwide. It is featured in its own microsite and serves as the centerpiece of a global outreach campaign, which has delivered outstanding results:

• Microsite traffic increased 203% from the previous year in just the first month;
• Paid search and social campaigns outperformed platform norms by more than 500%;
• The Index has earned over 75 press mentions around the world, including byline placements and in-depth interviews.

With its rigorous methodology and consumer-derived insights, the BRI is becoming one of the leading global measures of brand vitality. It is a signature asset for Prophet, earning greater attention and engagement every year