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The power of nostalgia

Roger Perowne CEO 09/08/2021

We’ve relied on certain much-loved brands for emotional reassurance, support and a sense of nostalgia as we reminisce back to safer, seemingly more simpler times.

More traditional brands have deeper roots in British society and have played more active roles in our history.

These more traditional brands have deeper roots in British society and have played more active roles in our history.

They are less likely to disrupt or cause controversy but that doesn’t mean they’re not brave.

A deeper understanding of their customers, their heritage and the value they contribute to making our everyday lives easier, has given them better insights on how to evolve and give back, while maintaining the brand essence that’s stood them in such good stead over time.

Cadbury, which scores highly for brand love across all generations and sits in overall third place on our 2021 Brand Love Top 10, is a good example.

Founded in the UK in 1824, the chocolate brand has a proud history of philanthropy and corporate responsibility.

In the 1940s, it set up Bournville Utilities Ltd to help make gas masks, service respirators and airplane parts for Spitfires and Lancaster Bombers during WWII (something it’s traded on significantly over the past 18 months).

The importance of its older customers, more able to relate to Cadbury’s place in British history, is not lost on the brand either.

It has been working with Age UK since early 2019 to tackle loneliness among older people.

Last Easter, Cadbury donated over two million Easter products to hospitals, care homes, Age UK and community shops across the country.

The nostalgia play might not seem as relevant to 16-24-year-olds, who don’t have the life experience to fully understand a brand’s societal importance or where it sits within British heritage.

But it’s still valid, given how generations have come together, especially in the past year and a half.

Our BrandVue data shows that Generation Z has taught the Baby Boomers and over-60s as much about Samsung Smart TVs, Amazon Prime and Netflix as the latter two have taught them about appreciating the role that brands such as the BBC, M&S and Cadbury have played in our past.

As these seminal brands help to shape our future, love flows from one generation into the next. As the importance of family and togetherness grows, all generations are invested in how brands support and create value for us all.

To download The Top 100 Most Loved Brands 2021 report, click here.

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