{"id":37630,"date":"2025-12-16T19:12:10","date_gmt":"2025-12-16T19:12:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/prophet.com\/?p=37630"},"modified":"2025-12-17T17:07:18","modified_gmt":"2025-12-17T17:07:18","slug":"2025-brand-winners-and-losers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/prophet.com\/2025\/12\/2025-brand-winners-and-losers\/","title":{"rendered":"2025\u2019s Brand Winners and Losers: From Dr. Pepper, Gap, Skims and Google to Southwest, Target,\u00a0Tesla\u00a0and Fast Fashion"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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2025\u2019s Brand Winners and Losers: From Dr. Pepper, Gap, Skims and Google to Southwest, Target, Tesla and Fast Fashion<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

A look at 2025\u2019s best and worst performing brands, offering key learnings for marketers, leaders and anyone tracking brand trends. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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2025 was another year in which brands surprised, delighted, shocked and disappointed us. From major consumer brands dominating headlines to beloved institutions stumbling, the year once again reshaped the landscape of business and culture.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Major\u00a0tech\u00a0players continued to dominate headlines. YouTube\u00a0officially became the world\u2019s largest streaming platform, surpassing Netflix, Prime Video, Disney+ and every major network combined.\u00a0Walmart completed its transformation into a tech-first retailer with its NASDAQ debut. Meanwhile, a crowded AI category welcomed Gemini, Copilot, Claude, Perplexity and Amazon Q \u2014 yet none matched the persistent ubiquity of ChatGPT.\u00a0MSNBC quietly reintroduced itself as MS\u00a0NOW,\u00a0Astronomer found unexpected fame via a Coldplay\u00a0KissCam\u00a0mishap and the world debated whether Tilly Norwood might become the first AI-generated movie star. If 2024 was about AI acceleration, 2025 was about AI integration into mainstream business.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Legacy brands delivered some of the year\u2019s strongest moments. Nike continued elevating women\u2019s sports,\u00a0Formula 1 solidified its status as the partnership platform every brand wanted to\u00a0be part of,\u00a0McDonald\u2019s leaned into nostalgia to bring customers back,\u00a0Coca-Cola returned to emotional storytelling with \u201cShare a Coke,\u201d\u00a0while\u00a0\u201cold timers\u201d\u00a0Victoria\u2019s Secret, Abercrombie and Bed Bath and Beyond advanced their relevance reinvention efforts\u00a0by courting\u00a0Gen Z. Finally,\u00a0streaming, again,\u00a0saw\u00a0historic\u00a0gains\u00a0as\u00a0Stranger Things<\/em>\u00a0broke Netflix\u2019s single day viewing record,\u00a0Severance earned a historic wave of Emmy nominations\u00a0for Apple\u00a0and The\u00a0Secret Lives of Mormon Wives<\/em>\u00a0continued to help Hulu surge\u00a0and search for more secrets!\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Challenger brands shaped culture just as powerfully. Poppi became one of the year\u2019s breakout success stories with its two-billion-dollar sale to Pepsi. Quince leaned into radical transparency, Labubu sparked a Beanie Babies style collecting craze, Owala turned hydration into a movement, and Mike\u2019s Hot Honey became the condiment of the year across grocery carts and fast casual menus. At the same time, Raising Cane\u2019s and Buc-ee\u2019s continued their near mythic expansions, the Savannah Bananas redefined sports entertainment and Bluey remained the ten-minute escape adults and children alike continued to cherish. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

2025\u00a0also\u00a0marked a decisive shift toward health optimization and data-driven living, accelerating the rise of brands built around prevention and performance. Eli Lilly became the first trillion-dollar health company, powered by scientific credibility, deep\u00a0patient\u00a0insight\u00a0and unprecedented demand for T2D and weight loss medications. On Running solidified its place as the lifestyle sport hybrid of the moment, Strava became the social network for\u00a0movers\u00a0and Oura entered the mainstream as consumers relied on sleep and recovery data to guide daily choices. With protein culture dominating grocery aisles and creatine entering mainstream longevity conversations, consumers were no longer just health\u00a0conscious;\u00a0they\u00a0became\u00a0health\u00a0obsessed.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Celebrity and creator influence\u00a0remained\u00a0a powerful force in shaping the brand narrative. Hailey Bieber\u2019s\u00a0billion-dollar\u00a0sale of Rhode to\u00a0e.l.f. dominated headlines, Sydney Sweeney\u00a0brought\u00a0\u201cattention\u201d and record sales\u00a0to\u00a0American Eagle.\u00a0Levi\u2019s extended its cultural resurgence through a high\u00a0impact\u00a0collaboration with Beyonc\u00e9.\u00a0Amy Poehler became a top ten podcaster in under eight months;\u00a0Pope Leo went global and Sabrina Carpenter and Bad Bunny owned both charts and culture. And in true 2025 fashion, a mashup of 4\u00a0Non Blondes\u00a0and Nicki Minaj, sparked by Kevin Bacon and Kyra Sedgwick, became the year\u2019s most unlikely anthem.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Looking ahead to 2026, the questions only grow more intriguing. Will HBO Max rebrand yet again if a\u00a0Netflix\/Paramount\u00a0deal materializes?\u00a0Is FIFA\u00a0drifting into 2026 penalty territory\u00a0amid early World Cup controversy?\u00a0Will Prada and Versace manage to share power peacefully now that billions depend on it?\u00a0Can Paige Bueckers\u00a0out-dunk\u00a0Caitlin Clark\u2019s\u00a0endorsement deals?\u00a0Which Winter Olympic athletes will capture global attention?\u00a0Do we actually care about another Avengers release?\u00a0Why can\u2019t we release Toy Story 5 tomorrow?\u00a0And,\u00a0the biggest mystery of all\u00a0is\u00a0whether or not\u00a0Hinge\u2019s\u00a0positioning around \u201cThe Dating App Designed to be Deleted\u201d\u00a0will\u00a0result in a swipe-left or a swipe-right?\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As always, time will reveal the answers. For now, we turn to the brands that defined 2025 \u2014 the headlining hits, the memorable misses, and the stories that shaped the year. With perspectives from Prophet colleagues around the world, and refraining from any commentary on current Prophet clients, here are our takes on the brands that rose to the top and those that fell flat. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

2025 Brand Winners <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

DoorDash <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

DoorDash reinforced its position as the dominant player in\u00a0U.S.\u00a0local commerce, expanding its footprint beyond food delivery into grocery, retail,\u00a0convenience\u00a0and alcohol. Growth in suburban and mid-sized markets\u00a0remained\u00a0a core competitive advantage, driving high order frequency and deep household penetration.\u00a0DashPass\u00a0continued to be one of the most powerful subscription products in the category, while the company\u2019s merchant-focused model and operational tools made DoorDash a preferred partner for restaurants and retailers navigating an increasingly digital marketplace.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dr Pepper <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Dr Pepper solidified its status as one of 2025\u2019s standout beverage brands, firmly holding the number two spot in the U.S. after surpassing Pepsi last year. Its loyal fan base and fast-growing Gen Z following fueled momentum, drawn to indulgent flavors and rising cultural relevance. When the \u201cdirty soda\u201d trend took off on TikTok, the brand moved quickly with its Creamy Coconut limited release, the most successful flavor launch in its history and a catalyst for nearly two million followers and over 12 million likes on the platform. Supported by continued heat from its Fansville campaign and an AI-driven Disney partnership that links beverage consumption to college football viewing for more precise targeting, Dr Pepper showed how a legacy brand can drive modern growth by pairing cultural agility with data-led innovation. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Gap <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Gap regained meaningful cultural\u00a0and commercial traction in 2025, driven by the viral\u00a0\u201cBetter in Denim\u201d\u00a0campaign, which generated more than 8 billion impressions and reintroduced the brand to a younger audience. The company strengthened its positioning by accelerating\u00a0influencer-led\u00a0content, elevating its core assortment with higher-quality fabrics and modern\u00a0fits\u00a0and expanding its appeal to higher income shoppers. Supported by strategic partnerships and stronger digital execution, Gap\u00a0demonstrated\u00a0that a legacy retailer can regain relevance by aligning brand heritage with contemporary consumer behavior.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Google <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Google\u00a0emerged\u00a0as one of 2025\u2019s standout performers, regaining momentum in the AI race and boosting investor confidence. Alphabet\u2019s stock climbed 77 percent in six months, becoming the third-most valuable U.S. company after launching Gemini 3, which, along with its\u00a0Nano Banana\u00a0model, outperformed rivals in early tests. Its pivot to AI-powered search paid off. Google Cloud revenue rose 32 percent and search grew 15 percent year over year.\u00a0In a year defined by rapid innovation and fierce competition, Google\u00a0didn\u2019t\u00a0just keep\u00a0pace,\u00a0it set a new bar.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

OpenAI <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

OpenAI solidified its status as one of the defining technology companies of the decade, spearheading rapid global adoption of artificial intelligence through advances in models, multimodal intelligence and product applications. Tools such as ChatGPT and Sora became essential across sectors including education, healthcare, entertainment and enterprise, positioning OpenAI as both an innovation engine and a trusted partner. Its mix of technical leadership, robust safety research and accessible user experience helped the company anchor a major shift in how individuals and organizations work, communicate and create value. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Skims <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Skims strengthened its position as one of 2025\u2019s most influential apparel brands, evolving from shapewear disruptor to multibillion-dollar lifestyle powerhouse built on comfort, inclusivity and design innovation. With a valuation above $5 billion, global retail expansion and consistent sellouts, the brand sustained exceptional momentum, becoming the fastest-growing apparel label in America and generating millions in first-week menswear sales. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Its NikeSkims collaboration underscored its reach, introducing women-first performance design and setting a new standard in activewear. As the official loungewear and underwear partner of Team USA, Skims continued to build credibility in sport. Guided by Kim Kardashian\u2019s strategic leadership and cultural influence, the brand shifted from buzzy newcomer to long-term force in modern essentials. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

2025 Brand Losers <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Fast Fashion (Forever 21, H&M, Zara, Shein) <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Fast-fashion leaders struggled to maintain cultural relevance in 2025 as consumers, especially Gen Z, gravitated toward sustainable alternatives and circular models. Rental platforms such as Nuuly and Rent the Runway posted double-digit subscription growth, underscoring a shift toward quality, transparency and reduced environmental impact. Against this backdrop, fast-fashion\u2019s rapid-turnover model increasingly appeared out of sync with evolving values. For brands long fueled by speed and trend replication, 2025 revealed the limits of a strategy misaligned with the priorities of the next generation of shoppers. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Southwest Airlines <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Southwest faced significant blowback in 2025 as it moved away from hallmark customer-friendly policies to drive new revenue. The decision to introduce checked-bag fees and begin phasing out open seating signaled a decisive strategic shift but also triggered a decline in customer satisfaction scores following the announcement. While the airline argued the changes would help it compete more effectively on fares and court more business travelers, the moves threatened its long-standing position as the industry\u2019s most approachable, traveler-first brand. The tension between financial opportunity and brand identity defined Southwest\u2019s turbulent year. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Target <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Target endured a difficult year in 2025 as shifting consumer priorities and lingering operational inconsistencies weighed on performance. The retailer posted its sixth consecutive quarter of declining foot traffic, signaling waning momentum in both discretionary categories and everyday essentials. Efforts to reinvigorate its style-forward identity were overshadowed by inventory misalignment, higher shrink levels and uneven in-store execution that eroded its once-stable appeal to middle-income households. With shoppers becoming more price sensitive and less inclined toward discretionary trips, Target found itself squeezed between elevated expectations for value and a brand positioning more closely tied to lifestyle than necessity. In a year defined by cautious spending, the retailer struggled to articulate a compelling reason for consumers to visit more often. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tesla and Elon Musk <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Tesla\u2019s once-dominant position in the EV landscape weakened significantly in 2025 as consumer sentiment cooled and competition intensified. The company\u2019s U.S. EV market share fell to 38 percent, its lowest level in nearly a decade, while global deliveries slipped 13 percent year over year. Product recalls, mounting battery concerns and the expiration of federal EV tax credits added pressure, but the most damaging factor may have been the growing disconnect between Elon Musk\u2019s polarizing public image and the expectations of mainstream buyers. For a brand long fueled by mythmaking and momentum, 2025 marked a rare moment where narrative could not compensate for operational and market realities. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tylenol <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Tylenol confronted one of its toughest reputational tests in decades after allegations surfaced connecting its products to autism, thrusting the brand into a crisis that demanded clarity and rapid communication. Instead, the company delivered a fragmented and slow response that contrasted sharply with the decisive crisis management approach that made Tylenol an industry gold standard in the 1980s. Public sentiment declined noticeably across social channels, and the brand\u2019s credibility took a measurable hit in consumer trust surveys. In an era of rapid information cycles, Tylenol\u2019s hesitation proved as damaging as the accusation itself. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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