of interest

What’s the common denominator across the 50 brands showing the fastest growth both in depth of customer relationships and financial value between 2000 and 2010?

All of them, regardless of size or category, have been built on an ideal of improving lives in some way, according to a new study done by WPP Group’s global research agency Millward Brown and Jim Stengel, former global marketing officer of Procter & Gamble, and now president/CEO of The Jim Stengel Company, LLC.

A sampling of Ideal brands include: 

• Amazon.com, e-commerce
• Calvin Klein, luxury apparel and accessories
• Chipotle, fast food
• Coca-Cola, soft drinks
• Dove, personal care
• Heineken, beer
• Hermès, luxury apparel and leather goods
• IBM, information technology products and services
• Lindt, chocolate
• Mercedes-Benz, automobiles
• Method, household cleaners and personal care
• Red Bull, energy drinks
• Samsung, electronics
• Starbucks, coffee and fast- food retailer
• Zappos, e-commerce
• Zara, affordable apparel