Our Change Makers report is dedicated to the brands and influencers pushing the frontiers and making waves in their respective industries.
We've rounded up a list of trailblazers sparking positive change in growing conversations on social media and outlined what we can learn from them. This is the second time we’ve put together our Change Makers report, which will be updated twice a year.
Our Change Makers range from household names to budding ones-to-watch. We feature everyone from conglomerates to scientists and sports stars, and – somehow or another – they’re all sparking innovative change in their respective industries.
So, how did we find our Change Makers? Let’s dive into our methodology.
The methodology
Determining influence isn’t an exact science; there are all kinds of ways to measure a brand or influencer’s impact. Whether it’s social media engagement, conversation mentions, or even follower growth – these all contribute to positive progress online.
We defined a Change Maker as a brand or influencer that displays curiosity, creativity, and innovation to spark positive change in growing conversations. This guided our research, as we followed the trajectory of online conversations in 2023.
We began by using Brandwatch Consumer Research to outline which industries saw impressive growth online. We created queries relating to dozens of industries, and then compared year-on-year growth to see which conversations were booming.
Using Brandwatch Consumer Research, we created word clouds, mention graphs, and even used AI to decipher peaks in conversations. From there, we worked out what’s causing these spikes and who’s adding to the growing conversations.
Brandwatch Influence – our influencer marketing platform – also contributed to the report. We used it to dive into influencers who have seen impressive engagement rates and follower growth over the last six months. The platform allows you to search by topic and audience interest, which we used to plug in our industries to discover who was sparking change on social.
Here’s an example
Looking at our tech query, we observed a fascinating surge in the field of AI and automation. Over the previous six months, there was a remarkable 43% increase in online social media mentions related to this topic. As we delved deeper into this conversation, we discovered a significant contributor to this growth: generative artificial intelligence program Midjourney.
From there, we focused our attention on Midjourney and conducted a separate analysis specifically for this brand. The results were striking, with mention numbers of Midjourney skyrocketing. It became evident that the brand's innovation was a contributor for the peaks we observed in the AI and automation discussions.
Our Change Makers
With this report, we're sharing the visions of brands and people changing the trajectory of online conversations within film, fashion, AI, CPG, beauty, art, finance, and more. Like how Vinted is working towards sustainability in the fashion space, or how Crocs is showing brands how to approach social strategies.
People can debate the products, the ideas, and the visions of each Change Maker. But you can’t deny their impact.
Our Change Makers’ power to make waves, spark positive conversations, and contribute to growing industry trends make them all definite ones-to-watch.
So, are you looking to spark conversations about your brand online? Here’s how you can learn from trailblazers in your industry.
How to spark conversations about your brand online
With eligible audiences for every interest, hobby, and niche, brands can benefit from tapping into these already growing conversations. Here's how you can do just that.
Identify brands and influencers within growing conversations
The perfect place to start is by looking at those already contributing to growing conversations. By diving into the brands and influencers seeing rapid growth online, you might find opportunities for your brand to get creative and join the conversation.
Take inspiration
Here are a few questions you can utilize to draw inspiration from these trailblazers:
- What are these brands doing which resonate with their audience?
- Which platforms are working the best for them?
- How are they engaging with their audience?
- What new tactics have they implemented which you haven’t seen before?
- And on the contrary, what isn’t working so well?
It’s important to remember that you don’t want to copy what others are doing. Instead, keep your brand image and values in mind when gathering ideas on how you can spark change. Lean into ways you can create the same outcomes as the brands you’ve found which are seeing success in creating chatter online. Add your own spin on it which will resonate with your audience.
Top tip: It can also be beneficial to look for brands and influencers outside of your industry. In order to spark change in growing conversations, you’ll need to be innovative – meaning you want to stand out from the crowd. Take a look at similar verticals and then brainstorm how you can implement similar tactics for your industry.
Implement your findings
Work with your social media marketing team to create a concrete strategy to implement your findings. Whether this is as complex as a multi-step marketing plan or as simple as using different hashtags, create an actionable schedule to see results.
Remember: Creating change doesn’t happen overnight, so give yourself time to see results and adjust your strategy accordingly.
