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This week we have our annual holiday episode of the On Brand podcast with the “Naughty and Nice Brands of 2024.” The smart folks at Brand Federation developed this seasonally appropriate snapshot of brand behavior looking back on this past year and the year ahead at 2025. The consultancy’s Chief Growth Officer Matt Williams joined me to discuss which brands have been naughty and nice this year.

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About Matt Williams

Naughty List for Brands 2024

• Boeing — Boeing has struggled with safety concerns, supply chain delays, and production issues in the past year. The trifecta of problems (and more) underscores the need for a larger organizational shift, peaking with this year’s 737 MAX crisis.
• Disney — Known as a creative powerhouse for over a century, this media giant lost its mojo with creative stagnation, streaming struggles, and underwhelming box office results. Criticism of its reliance on franchises and financial pressures on theme parks and Disney+ underscore the hurdles returning CEO Iger faces in revitalizing the brand.
• Intel — Formerly the standard in American computer chip manufacturing, this chipmaker has struggled to keep pace with its peers like Nvidia and Advanced Micro Devices (AMD), who’ve taken advantage of the artificial intelligence revolution and seen massive growth.
• Dollar General & Dollar Tree — As shoppers look for value, dollar stores seem to be logical destinations. However, that penny-pinching mentality hasn’t been enough to lift sales for Dollar Tree and Dollar General, as both companies have faced social media backlash and agreed to pay millions of dollars in fines to federal regulators for their store and warehouse conditions.

Nice List for Brands 2024

• Sesame Street — This beloved show continues to inspire and educate children worldwide during difficult times by promoting kindness while addressing critical social topics in an approachable way with modern communication channels. 
• Gap — New CEO Dickson took the reigns at Gap about a year ago, and sales have improved across all the company’s brands for the first time in years in the first quarter of 2024  — Banana Republic (+1%), Athleta (+5%), Old Navy (+3%), and its namesake (+3%). Gap has made a commendable comeback, and the focus on reinvigoration of its brands has been a key piece. 
• Raising Cane’s — Raising Cane’s has gained loyalty for their chicken fingers by not just having a focused menu but by prioritizing a positive work culture. In addition to sales and volume growth, this quick-service brand saw industry-leading turnover rates and record application flow.
• Bandit Running — Bandit has emerged as an upstart in the apparel industry during the US Olympic Trials for track and field at an industry giant’s backyard: the University of Oregon, the birthplace of Nike. The brand’s “Unsponsored Project” fitted unsponsored athletes in all-black running gear at the event, which stuck out amongst the biggest brands, including Nike, to bring attention to unsponsored athletes. In addition, athletes were provided cash to cover expenses along with an opt-out clause if another brand wanted to sign them.

Brands that Santa is Watching in 2025

• The Once Innovators — Companies are maturing faster than ever. These innovators are starting to look and act like the mature companies they’ve once disrupted. See below for brands that “Santa” is watching in 2025.
• Apple — After making devices like the iPod and the iPhone that got people to wait in line physically, Apple’s hardware is starting to look dated. This technology company’s reputation for innovation hangs in the balance as its competitors claim their stakes in the next frontier of emerging technology.
• Nike — Focusing on established products over innovation, a slew of new lookalike brands, and slowed sales growth led to perceptions of stagnation for this once subversive athletic brand. Leadership changes with a new CEO who grew up in the company could signal a rebound, but Nike faces pressure to balance its legacy with evolving customer demands.
• Starbucks — 2024 saw this industry giant navigate challenges to its identity as a global coffee leader, like rising operational costs, labor disputes, and changing customer preferences. With also growing competition from independent coffee shops and alternative beverage brands, Starbucks’ new CEO is pressured to innovate while refocusing on making Starbucks, Starbucks again.
• America — The brand perception of America has taken a hit due to deep political divisions, losing its leadership, economic confidence, and challenges in addressing systemic social issues.
• Ad Agency Holding Companies — There has been a big shake up in the advertising industry with the merging of two of the biggest holding companies: Omnicom and Interpublic.

Want more naughty and nice? Check out Brand Federation’s YouTube video on the Naughty and Nice Brands of 2024. You can also learn more on the agency’s website.

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Until next week, I’ll see you on the Internet!