Jane Ostler, Chief Insights Officer at Kantar, joins V and Marc to discuss 20 years of BrandZ data and what it reveals about brand growth. We explore the Meaningful, Different, Salient framework, why relative difference beats absolute uniqueness, and how marketers can separate strategic principles from tactical noise. Jane explains how small brands can compete without massive budgets, why trends shouldn't replace strategy, and how AI risks creating a "sea of sameness." From the Blueprint for Brand Growth to 2026 marketing trends, this conversation challenges conventional thinking about differentiation and brand building.

Speaker Bio

Jane Ostler is Chief Insights Officer at Kantar, where she leads the global BrandZ study, now in its 20th edition. She was a lead author of the Blueprint for Brand Growth, a comprehensive analysis based on billions of data points that established the Meaningful, Different, Salient (MDS) framework. Jane oversees Kantar's research into brand equity, marketing effectiveness, and consumer behaviour, producing reports including Marketing Trends 2026, Media Reactions, and Outstanding Innovation. Her work proves that strong brands consistently outperform stock market indices and that brand equity has measurable financial value.

Chapters

[00:00] Introduction: Relative difference vs. absolute uniqueness

[01:34] The Meaningful, Different, Salient (MDS) framework

[03:50] Four principles of brand growth from the Blueprint

[05:56] Trends vs. principles: Understanding the difference

[08:24] Should marketers stop chasing trends?

[10:45] Current marketing trends for 2025-2026

[15:30] AI visibility strategy and LLM optimization

[22:15] How to measure marketing effectiveness

[28:40] BrandZ Top 100 brands insights

[38:46] Can small brands compete with limited budgets?

[43:43] The "sea of sameness" risk from AI

[45:07] Where to learn more about Kantar's research

References

BrandZ 2025 Report (20th Edition)

https://www.kantar.com/inspiration/brands/brandz

Annual ranking of the world's most valuable brands with comprehensive brand equity analysis

Blueprint for Brand Growth

https://www.kantar.com/inspiration/brands/blueprint-for-brand-growth

Kantar's comprehensive study analyzing billions of data points on what drives brand growth, including specific guidance for small brands

Marketing Trends 2026

https://www.kantar.com/inspiration/campaigns/marketing-trends-2026

Data-backed analysis of emerging marketing trends including creators, AI visibility, and experiential marketing

Media Reactions Report

https://www.kantar.com/inspiration/advertising-media/media-reactions

Research on media channel effectiveness and consumer response

Outstanding Innovation Report

https://www.kantar.com/inspiration/innovation/outstanding-innovation

Analysis of innovation strategies and brand growth through new product development

Jane Ostler on LinkedIn

https://www.linkedin.com/in/janeostler/

Kantar on LinkedIn

https://www.linkedin.com/company/kantar/

Kantar Website

https://www.kantar.com