TMA CRS Index Versus Total Population

Omnicom marketing agency TMA is out with its second annual cultural resonance study that measures a brand’s standing in culture, which the agency believes is a significant growth driver.  

This year’s study offers a twist—instead of measuring brands generally (like last year’s effort) it is focused on the spirits category given the importance of fourth quarter sales to that vertical. The agency estimates that the holiday season accounts for up to 40% of annual spirits sales.    

Last year's study found that brands that are most resonant can drive business up to 25% better than their competitors.  Amazon, Google and Crayola were identified as the top three most resonant brands.  

This year's study reveals that spirits brands with a cultural resonance score (CRS) of 75 or better can expect to grow their customer base by at least 7.5%.   

Another finding: millennials and Gen Xers are the key drivers of a spirit brand's cultural resonance. By contrast, spirit brands lack overall resonance with Baby Boomers, with no brand ranking greater than a 50 CRS.  

Five Trail Whiskey, Woodford Reserve Whiskey and Tito's Handmade Vodka are the most culturally resonant brands in the category heading into this year’s holiday season, per the TMA assessment. Every top 10 brand in the CRS ranking indexed higher with Millennials and/or Gen Xers versus the total population.  

The study also found that resonance among multicultural audiences differs significantly from the total population. The two groups share just three top ten spirits brands. Tequila brands hold greater resonance among multicultural consumers while whiskey brands dominate among the total population. 

The CRS that TMA has created uses data from the BERA brand equity platform to measure brands in four key areas:   

• Recognition: How clearly the brand's role is defined in consumers' minds. 
• Alliance: How well the brand’s values align with consumers' values. 
• Engagement: Consumers' willingness to invest time and energy in the brand. 
• Advocacy: The extent to which consumers become brand ambassadors, sharing and amplifying the brand's message.  

The agency notes that “resonance” differs from “relevance” in that resonance amplifies over time, versus relevance which is "in the moment."