To get ready for what heritage marketing looks like in 2025, start by getting personal.
One of three trends we’ve predicted will dominate the heritage marketing landscape for 2025 is personalization, which marks a transformative approach to how brands leverage their heritage to connect with audiences. Moving beyond broad community narratives, brands are personalizing stories to foster one-on-one connections and better align with contemporary consumer expectations for authentic and individualized experiences.
Who’s doing it best
Years in review
Companies that leverage user data to create highly tailored “year-in-review” summaries excel at this strategy. Duolingo, the language-learning platform, creates “Year in Language” summaries for users, celebrating individual achievements while reinforcing brand loyalty. Just as Spotify Wrapped reminds listeners of past musical moments, Duolingo’s Year in Language allows each user to see how far they’ve come, reinforcing a sense of accomplishment tied to their personal history and experiences with the brand. These campaigns lead to high organic brand promotion as people excitedly share their personalized summaries each year.
Similarly, Nike excels at personalized marketing by blending technology and user metrics with storytelling to build individual connections in its fitness apps. Milestone notifications and social sharing features turn users into active participants in Nike’s mission and further engage them by using inspiration from Nike athletes or iconic past campaign slogans like “Just Do It” in personalized challenges and achievements. Nike, which ranks fourth in our 2024 Brand Heritage Index, regularly drives engagement by incorporating heritage into campaigns outside the apps as well, tying its current products to past innovations and fashion successes.
Putting a face to the brand
Personalization is also about humanizing larger brand narratives. People want to connect with other people. Highlighting those behind an organization’s milestones and innovations enables customers to put themselves in someone else’s shoes and experience firsthand the ups and downs of a brand’s journey.
The story of Sara Blakely, founder of SPANX, taking a pair of scissors and reimagining shapewear as she dressed for an event remains front and center to the brand’s narrative. By continually referring back to its relatable and inspirational origin story, the brand reinforces its mission “to help women feel great about themselves and their potential.”
Lead Bank’s Jackie Reses is not just its co-founder, chair and chief executive officer—she’s also the face of the almost 100-year-old bank’s transformation. The story behind why she acquired the bank connects with audiences, while her bold vision for fintech and expanded access for startups and small businesses positions Lead Bank as a tech-savvy financial institution that prioritizes innovation and accessibility.
Takeaways
- Highlight individuals: Use your archives to tell the stories of employees, customers or founders who have made a difference.
- Integrate technology: Leverage data to craft unique experiences that bring historical narratives closer to individual consumers.
- Celebrate milestones: Acknowledge customer achievements alongside brand anniversaries or milestones, making these experiences mutually significant.
In the evolving landscape of heritage marketing, the ability to get personal isn’t just a tactic. It’s a powerful strategy to foster deeper, lasting connections with audiences. Brands that embrace this trend will not only remain relevant but also build enduring relationships rooted in shared history and individual experiences.
Up next: Fortify your brand’s reputation.
Interested in exploring how you, like Duolingo and Nike, can make the most of your heritage and use it to support your organization’s future? Drop us a line.