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Interbrand unveils top 30 brands set to revolutionise the US market
Mumbai: Global brand consultancy Interbrand launched its Breakthrough Brands 2021 report unveiling the top 30 brands set to take the US market by storm in the coming decade.
From mobile banking developed specifically for Black and Latinx customers to secure messaging services and plant-derived product coatings, Interbrand listed some challenger brands from across sectors that have got what it takes to become household names.
The brands also reflect the broader context of a tumultuous year, with businesses required to experiment and be resilient in response to a global pandemic, social justice movements, and a highly contentious election cycle in the US. These growth-stage companies have a new set of challenges to contend with as we enter a ‘new reality post-pandemic.
Five themes of innovation emerge
Power in Representation: The impact and momentum of Black Lives Matter led to ripple effects on the corporate world and gave the momentum to companies focussing on increasing representation and diversity in different categories. Brands like Greenwood Bank, Omsom, SpringHill Company, and BREAD Beauty Supply are changing the conversations around how these communities are spoken to, represented, and empowered.
Flipping the Focus on Preventative Health: Despite Covid, new brands and technologies are democratising healthcare – making monitoring and diagnostics available to those on lower incomes, with less comprehensive insurance and short on time. Healthy.io, Butterfly Network, and Owlet are key to fixing this critical aspect of the healthcare lifecycle, helping lift the pressure and impact on the entire healthcare system.
Tackling Taboos: A long time in the making, we are seeing an explosion of brands in the personal care space bring empowerment and acceptance of our very human issues. With the likes of Starface, Megababe, and Frida Mom, taboos have never been more mainstream.
Easing Parenthood Anxieties: Thanks to Covid, the lack of intergenerational networks providing support and wisdom means millennial parents feel like they are alone in this new phase. Young start-ups including Frida Mom, Owlet, and Lovevery are taking on this role, helping navigate this vulnerable transition into parenthood and providing reassurance throughout childhood.
Gaming Everything: Gaming is no longer a stereotyped, niche activity – it is flowing into different industries and impacting the design aesthetic of brands. We are seeing playful characters, 3D illustrations, and immersive brand worlds, from Discord and Dapper Lab’s gamification of communication and blockchain respectively to Zwift’s game-like landscapes and Revolut’s graphics and brand identity.
Zwift CEO and Co-Founder, Eric Min said: “My idea for Zwift was born out of a problem I faced personally – the lack of social connection using cycling simulators. Using the power of massively multiplayer gaming technology, we’ve created a social fitness environment that lets you train, explore and compete with other ‘Zwifters’ from all over the world.”
Interbrand has shortlisted 30 companies that best exemplify brand growth from a list of over 400. Brands were selected against three core criteria: understanding human truths (with key indicators including social post volume and growth), creating exceptional brand experiences (brands that answer unmet consumer needs), and delivering superior business results.
Interbrand New York CEO Daniel Binns said: “Following a tumultuous year for business across most sectors, this year’s brands are something special. In increasingly difficult circumstances, these brands have launched, pivoted, survived, and even thrived. They are more than ready to follow in the footsteps of the Breakthrough Brands alumni.”
Interbrand New York Associate strategy director Naeiri Zargarian said: “This new class of Breakthrough Brands indicates the themes that will shape a post-pandemic world. The past year surfaced cultural tensions that will continue to be opportunities for brands and institutions; the realities of modern parenthood, inclusivity, and representation across categories and a willingness to tackle historically taboo topics.”
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Three senior OpenAI infrastructure executives join Meta
Key members of Stargate project move to rival amid aggressive AI spending race.
MUMBAI: Three key architects of OpenAI’s ambitious data centre plans have switched sides and joined Meta Platforms, according to people familiar with the matter. Peter Hoeschele, who played a central role in OpenAI’s high-profile Stargate initiative, is among the new hires. He is joined by Shamez Hemani, who focused on computing strategy and business development, and Anuj Saharan, another leader in the computing organisation. The Information first reported their departure from OpenAI on Thursday.
The moves come as Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg has pledged to spend aggressively on AI infrastructure. The company is projecting capital expenditure of up to $135 billion this year alone, with hundreds of billions more expected before the end of the decade to support its Meta Superintelligence Labs and new models such as Muse Spark.
OpenAI, which is pushing ahead with massive data centre expansion, had described its early lead in securing computing power as a competitive advantage. Stargate, originally announced last year as a $500 billion venture involving OpenAI, Oracle, and SoftBank, has since become an umbrella term for the company’s broader data centre ambitions. However, the project has seen recent adjustments, including a pause on its UK plans and the decision not to expand the Abilene, Texas site.
A spokesperson for Meta declined to comment, while Hoeschele, Hemani, and Saharan also declined to comment. OpenAI said it was grateful for the contributions of the three employees and remains focused on hiring talent for its infrastructure plans. The company recently brought in former Intel executive Sachin Katti to lead its industrial compute efforts.
In the high-stakes race to build the future of artificial intelligence, talent is proving to be as valuable as computing power itself. Meta’s latest hires suggest the competition for top infrastructure minds is intensifying, even as OpenAI continues to scale its own ambitious projects. The move highlights how quickly the AI talent war is heating up across Silicon Valley.
