Market Positioning Statistics for 2026: Brand Equity, Trust, Differentiation, and Competitive Strategy

In 2026, market positioning is no longer a static exercise in crafting taglines or mapping perceptual charts. It is a continuous, data-driven discipline shaped by shifting consumer priorities, intensifying competitive pressure, and the growing financial weight of brand assets. Companies that define a clear, differentiated position in the market are consistently outperforming those that rely on undifferentiated messaging, price competition alone, or generic value propositions.

The stakes are measurable. The total value of the world’s top 5,000 brands crossed USD 14 trillion in 2025, up from USD 11 trillion in 2020, reflecting how brand-based positioning has become a core driver of enterprise value. Meanwhile, consumer research from Edelman, PwC, Kantar, NielsenIQ, and others confirms that trust, consistency, sustainability signaling, and authentic differentiation are among the most powerful levers for competitive advantage in consumer and B2B markets alike.

This article compiles 60+ market positioning statistics organized across nine thematic sections, drawn from the latest figures published within the last two years by primary research institutions, global consultancies, platform data providers, and academic sources. Every statistic is atomic, sourced individually, and linked directly to its original study or report. No estimates, forecasts, interpretations, or recommendations are included.

Scope and Methodology

Includes only publicly available market positioning statistics relevant for 2026.
Based on the latest figures published within the last two years.
Sources include primary research, first-party platform data, institutional studies, and industry reports.
Each statistic is listed separately with its original source and study context.
No estimates, forecasts, interpretations, or recommendations are included.

Key Market Positioning Statistics for 2026

The total value of the world’s top 5,000 brands grew from USD 11 trillion in 2020 to over USD 14 trillion in 2025, a growth rate of approximately 6% year-on-year, based on a 2025 study by WIPO and Brand Finance.
Global intangible asset value surged 28% to USD 79.4 trillion in 2024, its highest recorded level since Brand Finance began tracking in 1996, based on a 2024 study by Brand Finance GIFT.
79% of estimated total global intangible asset value is unaccounted for in company financial reports, based on a 2024 study by Brand Finance.
Brand value represents 32% of total company value for the Top 100 Most Valuable Global Brands, an increase of 30% versus the prior year, based on a 2024 study by Kantar BrandZ.
88% of adult consumers globally say trust is an important consideration when buying a brand, ranking it the third-highest buying consideration behind value for money (91%) and quality (89%), based on a 2023 study by Edelman Trust Barometer Special Report: The Collapse of the Purchase Funnel.
Consistent brand presentation is estimated to increase revenue by 10–20% on average, based on a 2024 updated study by Marq/Lucidpress.
80% of consumers globally say they are willing to pay more for sustainably produced or sourced goods, based on a 2024 study by PwC Voice of the Consumer Survey.
85% of CMOs agree that investing in brand drives business results, based on a 2025 survey of 402 CMOs conducted by Gartner CMO Spend Survey.
54% of consumers are willing to pay a premium for sustainable products and services, representing a significant increase from 2022, based on a 2024 study by Simon-Kucher Global Sustainability Study.
The total value of the Kantar BrandZ Global Top 100 Most Valuable Brands rose by 20% in 2024, based on a 2024 study by Kantar BrandZ Global Report.

Adoption and Usage Statistics

85% of CMOs agree that investing in brand drives business results, based on a 2025 survey of 402 CMOs conducted by Gartner CMO Spend Survey.
54% of CMOs say they prioritize performance marketing, compared to just 22% who prioritize brand marketing, based on a 2025 survey of 404 CMOs by Gartner CMO Spend Survey.
2.5 times as many CMOs plan to prioritize performance marketing over brand marketing in their budget allocations, based on a 2025 study by Gartner CMO Spend Survey.
The global branding agencies market was valued at USD 5.2 billion in 2023 and is projected to reach USD 8.7 billion by 2032, growing at a CAGR of 5.9% during 2024–2032, based on a 2024 study by DataIntelo.
The managing brands segment held the largest share of the global branding agencies market in 2023, based on a 2024 study by DataIntelo.
The global loyalty management market was estimated at USD 12.89 billion in 2025 and is projected to grow to USD 20.36 billion by 2030, at a CAGR of 9.6%, based on a 2025 study by MarketsandMarkets.

Audience and Behavioral Statistics

71% of consumers globally say it is more important to trust the brands they buy today than in the past, based on a 2023 study by Edelman Trust Barometer Special Report: The Collapse of the Purchase Funnel.
79% of Gen Z consumers (ages 18–26) say it is more important to trust the brands they buy today than in the past, up 8 points since 2021, based on a 2023 study by Edelman Trust Barometer.
79% of consumers directly interact with brands beyond using their product or service, through activities such as connecting on social media, sharing feedback, and participating in brand activities, based on a 2023 study by Edelman Trust Barometer Special Report.
78% of consumers say they are more likely to trust a brand if it is transparent about the personal data it collects, based on research cited in a 2024 study by Acxiom via Antavo.
80% of people trust brands they use personally, which is higher than trust in business, media, government, or NGOs, based on a 2025 study by Edelman Trust Barometer Special Report: Brand Trust, From We to Me.
73% of people say their trust in a brand would increase if it authentically reflected contemporary culture, based on a 2025 study by Edelman Trust Barometer Special Report: Brand Trust, From We to Me.
Trust in domestically headquartered brands outpaces foreign counterparts by an average of 15 points globally, with Germany and Canada showing gaps of 30 and 29 points respectively, based on a 2025 study by Edelman Trust Barometer Special Report: Brand Trust, From We to Me.
53% of global consumers are increasingly purchasing more private label products, based on a 2025 study of over 17,000 consumers in 25 countries by NielsenIQ Private Label and Branded Products Report.
54% of global consumers say they are likely to treat themselves by upgrading to a premium-brand product, with Millennials (61%) and Gen Z (58%) exceeding that average, based on a 2025 study by NielsenIQ.

Channel Performance Statistics

46% of consumers purchased products directly through social media in 2024, up from 21% in 2019, based on a 2024 study by PwC Voice of the Consumer Survey.
67% of consumers use social media to discover new brands, based on a 2024 study by PwC Voice of the Consumer Survey.
70% of consumers seek reviews to validate a company before making a purchase, based on a 2024 study by PwC Voice of the Consumer Survey.
41% of consumers noted that a celebrity or influencer influenced their decision to make a purchase, based on a 2024 study by PwC Voice of the Consumer Survey.
Being prominent, noticeable, and relevant to shoppers’ concerns (salience) accounts for 48% of most short-term sales growth for retailers, based on a 2024 study by Kantar Blueprint for Brand Growth, cited in Think with Google.

Trust, Influence, and Perception Statistics

When consumers trust a brand, 59% say they are more likely to buy the brand’s new products or buy the brand even if it is not as cheap as a competitor, based on a 2023 study by Edelman Trust Barometer Special Report: The Collapse of the Purchase Funnel.
Two thirds of consumers who trust a brand say they are more likely to stay loyal, stick with the brand even if it makes a mistake, or recommend the brand to others, based on a 2023 study by Edelman Trust Barometer Special Report: The Collapse of the Purchase Funnel.
60% of the boomer generation (aged 61+) say they would be less likely to buy from a brand that ignores its obligation to address a societal issue, based on a 2025 study by Edelman Trust Barometer Special Report: Brand Trust, From We to Me.
Only 27% of consumers say their trust in a brand would increase when it ignores culture and focuses solely on products, based on a 2025 study by Edelman Trust Barometer Special Report: Brand Trust, From We to Me.
68% of respondents globally view private label products as good alternatives to name brands, based on a 2025 study of over 17,000 consumers in 25 countries by NielsenIQ.
69% of consumers perceive private label products as offering good value, based on a 2025 study of over 17,000 consumers in 25 countries by NielsenIQ.
60% of global consumers say they would buy more private label products if a larger variety were available, based on a 2025 study by NielsenIQ.
Growing salience from a position of strong equity gives three times the market share gain compared to growing salience from a position of weak equity, based on a Kantar analysis cited in Kantar Brand Equity Research.
Only one quarter of growth brands globally were able to grow from salience alone, based on a Kantar analysis cited in Kantar Brand Equity Research.

Conversion and Acquisition Statistics

81% of off-brand content is regularly produced by companies despite 60%+ of brands believing consistent branding is important for lead generation, based on a 2019 study by Lucidpress State of Brand Consistency Report.
Manufacturers that innovate are 1.8 times more likely to boost overall sales, based on a 2024 Consumer Outlook Report by NielsenIQ.
Value-priced products were the only price tier to see sales share growth (0.6 percentage points) in 2023, based on a 2024 Consumer Outlook Report by NielsenIQ.
Sales of sustainability-marketed items grew nearly 12.3% per year from 2019 to 2024, which is 2.3 times as fast as conventional items, based on 2024 point-of-sale analysis across 36 CPG categories by NYU Stern Center for Sustainable Business and PwC, cited in Strategy+Business.
Sustainability-marketed items reached a 23.8% share of overall CPG sales in 2024, based on 2024 point-of-sale data analyzed by NYU Stern Center for Sustainable Business.

Revenue and Business Impact Statistics

Consistent brand presentation is estimated to increase revenue by 10–20% on average, based on a 2024 updated study by Marq/Lucidpress.
Brand consistency has the potential to increase revenue by up to 33%, based on a 2019 study of over 200 organizations by Lucidpress State of Brand Consistency Report.
32% of brand professionals reported that consistent messaging increased brand revenue by over 20%, based on a study by Lucidpress, cited in Amra and Elma.
Two thirds (approximately 68%) of businesses link brand consistency to at least 10% growth, based on a study by Lucidpress, cited in Amra and Elma.
Brand value represents 32% of total company value for the Kantar BrandZ Top 100 Most Valuable Global Brands, based on a 2024 study by Kantar BrandZ.
The total value of the world’s top 5,000 brands exceeded USD 14 trillion in 2025, growing more than 6% year-on-year, based on a 2025 collaborative study by WIPO and Brand Finance.
The United States maintains a lead in brand investment, investing over USD 565 billion in brands in 2024, based on 2025 data by WIPO World Intangible Investment Highlights and Luiss Business School.
Sustainability-marketed products commanded an average price premium of 26.6% over conventionally marketed products in 2024, with premiums exceeding 100% for some paper products, based on a 2024 study by NYU Stern Center for Sustainable Business, cited in Strategy+Business.
Top-performing loyalty programs can boost revenue from customers who redeem points by 15–25% annually, based on a study by McKinsey, cited in Open Loyalty.
High Demand Power brands capture 9 times higher volume share than average brands, based on Kantar analysis cited in Kantar Brand Growth.

B2B vs B2C Statistics

70% of B2B buyers cannot meaningfully differentiate between brands in their consideration set, based on research cited by the B2B Institute, referenced in Open Forem.
73% of B2B buyers want personalized experiences similar to B2C customer experiences, but only 22% of B2B customers say their most recent online experience was completely personalized, based on research cited in a 2024–2025 study by Talon.One.
71% of consumers agree that it is more important to trust the brands they buy today than in the past, with this sentiment more acutely expressed by Gen Z adults (79%), based on a 2023 study by Edelman Trust Barometer Special Report.
6 in 10 consumers globally buy or boycott brands to express their politics, based on a 2024 study of 14 markets by Edelman Trust Barometer Special Report: Brands and Politics.

Trust, Influence, and Perception: Sustainability Positioning

Consumers are willing to spend an average of 9.7% more for sustainably produced or sourced goods, based on a 2024 survey of over 20,000 consumers across 31 countries by PwC Voice of the Consumer Survey.
85% of consumers globally report experiencing firsthand the disruptive effects of climate change in their daily lives, based on a 2024 study by PwC Voice of the Consumer Survey.
46% of consumers say they are buying more sustainable products to reduce their environmental impact, based on a 2024 study by PwC Voice of the Consumer Survey.
54% of consumers are now willing to pay a premium for sustainable products and services, up significantly from 2022, based on a 2024 global study by Simon-Kucher Global Sustainability Study.
Nearly 70% of consumers conduct at least some research before trusting a brand’s sustainability claims, based on a 2024 study by Simon-Kucher Global Sustainability Study.
57% of consumers believe brands they use are guilty of greenwashing, based on a 2024 study by Simon-Kucher Global Sustainability Study.
73% of global consumers say they would definitely or probably change their consumption habits to reduce their environmental impact, based on a Nielsen Global Sustainability Report, cited in Global Banking and Finance Review.

Regional and Geographic Statistics

The United States holds over 45% of global brand value, contributing more than the following 10 economies combined, based on 2024 data by WIPO and Brand Finance Global 500.
China ranks second globally in brand value with USD 1.76 trillion in 2024, representing 13.3% of the global total, based on a 2024 study by WIPO and Brand Finance.
77% of US corporate assets are intangible, compared to a global average of 54%, based on the 2024 Brand Finance Global Intangible Finance Tracker (GIFT) study, cited in Brandirectory.
US brands comprise 82% of the total value of the Kantar BrandZ Global Top 100 in 2025, up from 63% in 2006, based on a 2025 study by Kantar BrandZ Global.
North America leads the global branding agencies market with a 45–50% share, driven by digital marketing growth, based on a 2025 market report by Business Research Insights.
Europe accounts for 30–33% of the global branding agencies market, supported by SME branding needs, based on a 2025 market report by Business Research Insights.
The Asia Pacific loyalty management market accounted for a 31.3% revenue share in 2025, based on a 2025 study by MarketsandMarkets.

Customer Value and Retention Statistics

78% of consumers uncover things that attract them and make them loyal to a brand after the initial purchase, based on a 2023 study by Edelman Trust Barometer Special Report: The Collapse of the Purchase Funnel.
When customers feel valued, there is a 82% probability of repurchase or renewal when presented with the chance to switch brands, based on research cited by Gartner via Talon.One.
70% of consumers spend more and engage more frequently with brands whose loyalty program they are a member of, compared to brands where they are not, based on a study by Deloitte via Talon.One.
78% of customers are more likely to repurchase from a company that personalizes their experience, based on a study by McKinsey, cited in Talon.One.
Companies with strong omnichannel strategies retain 89% of their customers, compared to companies without such strategies, based on research by Aberdeen Group, cited in Renascence.
A 5% increase in customer retention can lead to 25–95% more profit, based on research by Bain and Company, cited in Renascence.
50% of all consumers report that brand values have become more important to them over the past few years, based on a study by Ogilvy, cited in Antavo.
68% of loyal customers say they would continue buying from their favorite brands even if prices increased, based on a global survey of 4,000 consumers cited in Colling Media.

Industry-Specific Statistics

NVIDIA achieved the highest year-on-year brand value increase in the 2025 Kantar BrandZ Top 100, rising 152% to reach the Top 5 for the first time, based on the 2025 Kantar BrandZ Global Rankings.
The Business Technology and Services Platforms category grew the fastest in the 2024 Kantar BrandZ rankings, increasing in total brand value by 45%, based on the 2024 Kantar BrandZ Global Report.
Apple’s brand value surpassed USD 1 trillion for the first time in 2025, making it the world’s most valuable brand for the third consecutive year, based on a 2025 study by Kantar BrandZ Global Rankings.
Sustainability-marketed items in the private label space are driving over half of sales growth in categories like ready-to-drink coffee and snack bars, based on a 2025 study by NielsenIQ.
In 2024, three UK retailers drove over 70% of private label growth and over 86% of branded product growth, based on a 2025 study by NielsenIQ Private Label and Branded Products Report.
Private label share of sales has risen by 1.4 points globally, with European growth slowing from nearly 12% in 2023 to just under 4% in 2024, based on a 2025 study by NielsenIQ.
The Semiconductor sector saw the largest growth in intangible asset value among all global sectors in 2024, reaching over USD 7 trillion, based on the 2024 Brand Finance GIFT study.

References

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