TMA Study Unveils How Well Brands Resonate in Culture

Last year, TMA, the agency that specialises in creating cultural resonance for brands, introduced its proprietary Cultural Resonance Score™ (CRS) as a way to measure a brand’s standing in culture.  “A high CRS was found to help brands grow business better (as much as 25% more) than their competitors. Cultural resonance, as opposed to cultural relevance, goes beyond mere transactions to aligning the brand’s worldview with that of its audience, creating a shared sense of purpose and value.

For 2024, TMA elected to focus this year’s CRS on the spirits category. That’s because the holiday season accounts for up to 40% of annual spirits sales.  The new report reveals that Gen X and Millennials are the driving force behind spirits brands’ resonance scores; and that those brands with a CRS score of 75 or higher can see exponential growth.

HOW THE STUDY WAS CONDUCTED

The TMA Cultural Resonance Score™ is a unique metric that predicts a brand's future customer share by measuring its lasting presence in culture. Unlike tools that focus on short-term relevance, the TMA Cultural Resonance Score™ captures a brand's deeper, long-term connection with consumers. The score not only reveals a brand’s current standing in culture, but also offers actionable insights for enhancing its cultural relevance and driving future growth.

The TMA Cultural Resonance Score™ 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.

FINDINGS

1. FIVE TRAIL, WOODFORD RESERVE, TITO’S, CROWN ROYAL, AND HERRADURA are the most culturally resonant spirits brands heading into the 2024 holiday season. For most brands in the top 10, their strong recognition—defined by a clear understanding of the brand’s role in consumers' minds—is the key driver of their cultural resonance.

The Top 10 Spirits Brands Across All Demographics

1. Five Trail Whiskey (64)

2. Woodford Reserve Whiskey (64)

3. Tito’s Handmade Vodka (62)

4. Crown Royal Whiskey (62)

5. Herradura Tequila (62)

6. Jack Daniel’s Whiskey (61)

7. Kraken Black Spiced Rum (60)

8. The Macallan Whiskey (60)

9. Dalwhinnie Whiskey (59)

10. Patron Tequila (59)

2. Brands achieving a TMA Cultural Resonance Score™ of 75 or higher can see exponential growth, with every 10-point increase resulting in a 7.5% customer base expansion. Focusing on engagement and advocacy can help to hit that sweet spot.

Below: Heat map of the strongest and weakest pillars for each brand. Green=strongest, red=weakest.

3. Gen X and Millennials are the driving force behind the rise of top spirit brands. By contrast, spirit brands lack overall resonance with Boomers, with no brand ranking greater than the 50th percentile, meaning over half of all measured US brands are more resonant than spirits for them. 

TMA Cultural Resonance ScoreTM Index vs Total Population

4. Spirits brands’ resonance differs among multicultural audiences. For example, on this basis, Crown Royal ranks #1 and 1800 Tequila, a brand that didn’t even crack the top ten, ranks #2.  In fact, multicultural audiences have a distinct preference for different spirit brands, sharing only three of the top ten brands with the total population. Notably, the overall cultural resonance within this group is stronger, with top brands ranking 11 percentage points higher than the strongest brand for the total population. Additionally, tequila brands hold greater resonance among multicultural consumers, while whiskey brands dominate resonance with the total population.

Top 10 Spirit Brands among Multicultural Audience

1. Crown Royal Whiskey (75)

2. 1800 Tequila (75)

3. Don Julio Tequila (74)

4. Patron Tequila (73)

5. Remy Martin Cognac (73)

6. Jose Cuervo Tequila (70)

7. Herradura Tequila (69)

8. Jameson Irish Whiskey (69)

9. Tito’s Handmade Vodka (68)

10. Bacardi Rum (68)

IMPLICATIONS

Cultural resonance is achieved when a) audiences have clarity of the brand's point-of-view on the world; b) the point-of-view is agreeable to the audience; c) the audience is so engaged with the brand that they spend time with it; and d) they become brand advocates.

Creating cultural resonance requires commitment, consistency, and empathy. But as the results demonstrate, it’s well worth it.