Interbrand launches “2022 Breakthrough Brands” Report showcasing the 30 emerging brands that will disrupt the US market

Pioneers in the blockchain industry, OpenSea, Chainalysis and Polygon are setting the foundation for Web3.

Celebrity-led cannabis brands Monogram and Houseplant are bringing sophistication to the space as they emerge into the spotlight.

Brands including Arcadia and Folx Health are prime examples of how technology is supporting the climate and health industries to propel them forwards.

Proud to be partnering with Vox Media and launching live on stage at Collision 2022 in Toronto

Interbrand, the world’s leading brand consultancy, launched its 2022 Breakthrough Brands Report – with Web3, Climate Tech and boutique health brands set to go mainstream.

The influential Breakthrough Brands Report reveals the 30 innovative brands that are set to disrupt the US market. This is the 5th edition of the report, which has a track record of successfully identifying game-changing challenger brands before they become household names. Previous years’ Breakthrough Brands have included Miro and Athletic Brewing (2021), A24 and Maven Clinic (2020), Square and Slack (2017), and Sweetgreen and Headspace (2016), all of which have seen exponential growth since being featured in Interbrand’s previous reports.

This year’s report is focused on the areas of innovation that will define the next decade – a new internet infrastructure, software solutions for the climate crisis, and high-growth challengers shaking up the healthcare system. The brands in these areas are arriving amid a paradigm shift – in research conducted by Interbrand and Vox Media, 58% of the US population believes private individuals like Elon Musk will have more impact on society over the next 10 years than scientists, politicians, or financial institutions.

The brands included in this year’s report span a range of fast-growing industries, including celebrity-led cannabis brands (Houseplant and Monogram), women’s health (Tia and Kindbody), blockchain (Mythical Games, Bored Ape Yacht Club and MoonPay), and Climate Tech (Watershed, Arcadia and Pachama). More than 50% of 2022’s Breakthrough Brands have founders or C-suite members who are women or people of color.

According to quantitative research conducted in partnership with Vox Media, 69% of the US population believes COVID has accelerated the adoption of new technologies. In this time of rapid cultural change and questioning of institutions, there is momentum to create the structural changes that will define the next decade.

The three emerging topics from this year’s Breakthrough Brands report are:

• The next generation of the internet: As Web3 is coming of age, blockchain-based companies are moving into new avenues such as NFTs and decentralized autonomous organizations. Brands using blockchain technology are creating the foundation for a more decentralized internet. Polygon, Chainalysis and MoonPay are building the infrastructure to enable more consumers and businesses to use blockchain technologies.
• Carbon measurement fueling accountability: The conversation around climate change is becoming more focused on measurable action for decarbonization and how we can become net-zero by 2050. Brands including Watershed, Planet Labs, and Doconomy are supporting businesses to reach their climate goals.
• Rebuilding the healthcare industry: Decades of the ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach in healthcare are being confronted by the brands that have recognized the benefits of targeting specific segments. Brands such as Folx Health, Thirty Madison, and Kindbody are reimagining the experience for different demographics that have previously been overlooked while driving accessibility and reducing costs.

Aleksander Leonard Larsen, Co-founder and COO at Axie Infinity, said: “At Axie Infinity, we are more than a brand, we are a digital nation with a diverse group of global citizens, a real economy, and a world full of engaging and fun experiences. Being recognized by Interbrand as one of this year’s Breakthrough Brands is truly an honor and a testament to what we are building. We look forward to continuing to push the boundaries when it comes to innovation in the web3 space and community building.”

Michael Mohr, Co-Founder and CEO at Houseplant, said: “As the legal cannabis industry began to develop, we recognized that there was a void in the market for beautiful, thoughtfully designed and useful homewares for people who enjoy cannabis or a cannabis-friendly lifestyle. Houseplant came to life to meet these needs and enhance the lives of this growing national consumer base. We are honored to be recognized by Interbrand as a 2022 Breakthrough Brand for our innovative approach and success to date in this new and quickly evolving category. As individuals and as a company, we recognize our position of privilege and are committed to changing the unjust racist cannabis laws that still exist today and to creating a more diverse and equitable industry.”

Daniel Binns, CEO, Interbrand New York, said: “After another year with many uncertainties being faced by businesses, we see genuine hope in so many innovative brands emerging across a range of sectors. We’re expecting to see these brands continue to achieve impressive growth and become key disruptors within the US market.”

Naeiri Zargarian, Strategy Director at Interbrand New York, said: “It’s all about systems change – whether it is to decentralize the internet, demystify healthcare, or decarbonize the planet, a new generation of brands is leveraging the learnings of the past decade to lay the groundwork for the next one.”

The selection process of Interbrand’s Breakthrough Brands 2022 report involved analyzing over 300 brands gathered by internal (across Interbrand Global offices) and external nominations (via a submission form on Interbrand’s website and direct messages on social media). Brand audits were conducted by Interbrand analysts across a number of disciplines including social media data, investment data and key insights.

Interbrand expanded its number of “Human Truths” metrics this year to include Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DE&I), Accessibility, and Sustainability. To conduct its analysis, Interbrand partnered with Infegy Atlas, Vox Media, and Circus.

The full report can be downloaded, here: Breakthrough Brands 2022

Interbrand’s Breakthrough Brands 2022:

100 Thieves – Esports hype brand

Arcadia – API-based energy measurement

Axie Infinity – Play-to-earn gaming

Boom Supersonic – Bringing back supersonic flight

Bored Ape Yacht Club – Blockbuster NFT community

Chainalysis – Blockchain compliance

Daring Foods – Plant-based chicken

Doconomy – Financially incentivized decarbonization

Eat Just – High fidelity vegan eggs

Figment – Blockchain infrastructure and services

Folx Health – Healthcare for LGBTQIA+

Houseplant – Mid-century cannabis lifestyle products

JuneShine – Hard kombucha

Kindbody – End-to-end fertility care

Masterworks – Art investment platform

Monogram – Jay-Z’s cannabis brand

MoonPay – Payments infrastructure for crypto

Mythical Games – Blockchain-based gaming studio

Nomi Health – Streamlining healthcare operations

OpenSea – NFT marketplace

Pachama – Forest-centric carbon accounting

PARK – Social impact sports brand

Planet Labs – Satellite imaging to track climate change

Polygon – Ethereum scaling infrastructure

Thirty Madison – House of brands focused on chronic conditions

Tia – Holistic and digital-first women’s healthcare

Too Good To Go – Creating a circular food economy

Watershed – Holistic carbon measurement for businesses

Whatnot – Livestream auctions

YouthForia – TikTok approved clean beauty

Methodology:

Interbrand’s 2022 Breakthrough Brands is the result of a rigorous and comprehensive evaluation of today’s most progressive and innovative brands. The list is composed of 30 brands that best exemplify our tenets of brand growth: understanding human truths, creating exceptional brand experiences, and delivering superior business results.

Our selection process involved analyzing over 300 brands gathered by both internal (across Interbrand Global offices) and external nominations (utilizing a submission form on our website and direct messages on our social media accounts). Candidates had to have a significant US presence and were selected based on their perceived disruption of cultural or category norms, ability to draw media attention, and financial growth. Inputs to the analytical model included: brand audits conducted by Interbrand analysts across disciplines, social media data gathered in partnership with Infegy Atlas (a social media listening company) as well as Relative Insight (digital footprint analysis tool), and key insights from Vox Media (a global independent media company) and the Circus (an insight and data consultancy).

To evaluate the “Brand Experiences” metric, audits were conducted by 30+ cross-discipline Interbrand staff, determining the brand’s ability to execute a holistic and innovative brand experience that includes visual and verbal identity, user interface design, buying experience, and more. Multi-sensory audits were shared with all voting members.

In addition to the Love and Trust metrics from the 2021 Breakthrough Brands report, we increased the number of “Human Truths” metrics to five by including Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DE&I), Accessibility, and Sustainability this year. We partnered with Infegy Atlas to examine the combination of key performance indicators of companies and their year-over-year comparison in the share of total volume and year-over-year growth. To deepen our understanding of customer shifts, we partnered with Vox Media and Circus to conduct a custom quantitative study which was in field in May 2022.

About The Interbrand Group

Interbrand Group is made up of Interbrand, the world’s leading brand consultancy, and C Space, the global customer agency.

Interbrand have been a world leading brand consultancy, for over 45 years – having pioneered iconic work and forged many of the brand building tools that are commonplace across the industry today.

We know that in an age of unprecedented abundance of choice and speed of innovation, customers’ expectations are moving faster than business. While incremental change is still essential, it is no longer sufficient. It takes bold moves to leap ahead of customers and competitors. We call these moves Iconic Moves.

In collaboration with the world’s leading brands, our global team of thinkers and makers are pioneering the future of brand building. By turning customers into active participants, we help our clients strengthen their brands on an ongoing basis – our approach gives them confidence to make Iconic Moves that spark desire and create utility, driving extraordinary results.

Interbrand is a part of the Omnicom Group (NYSE:OMC). For more information, please visit www.interbrand.com