Some links on this post may link to affiliate pages that offer compensation to the author of this post.
Disclaimer: at the time of writing, some of the brands I have listed are brands I own a percentage of stock in. Said brands will be marked with an “*”. This is not unusual because I tend to put my money where my mouth is. Many of these brands will be brands I have picked in the stock market but this is NOT to be depicted as financial advice.
2021 was an interesting year and was always going to be a crazy branding experience from a top-down level.
We were hot off the heels of a pandemic year and regional differences in addressing that pandemic resulted in double-messaging, content adaptation, and some rebranding across the board.
The brands that excelled this year were brands that could adapt their content, redirect their messaging, and redesign their product lines to adequately reflect the world around them.
1) Shopify *
Shopify is to me the most interesting brand to watch for in 2022. Starting out as a competitor to WordPress, Wix, Squarespace, models of DTC online shopping… Shopify has BALLOONED over the pandemic. Everything from its stock price to the rumors Shopify will introduce a marketplace to directly compete with the Amazon DTC shipping Goliath has me excited to see how they grow over 2022.
2) Rivian *
At the initial IPO of the rivian brand, I was skeptical peri was skeptical. I listened as friends of mine made a couple $100 off of the initial style initial stock and then sold quickly. Though there are manufacturing concerns, Vivian is an interesting brand that has convinced many initial startups that they’re their Tech based company can provide the 1st real competition to Tesla. As someone who has multiple issues with Elon Musk and his constant Twitter stock baiting, I believe Rivian could become the Ford of the EV market.
3) Coinbase
I find coin base to be one of the most interesting brands of 2021 and it’ll be exciting to see how they develop into 22. Anybody who thinks that the crypto market isn’t worth getting is going to miss big. I have a few crypto coins and currencies that I hold because crypto will be the way currency is managed in the metaverse.
Currently, the amount of competitors coinbase has in the app store and Play Store is not nearly as high as it should be. Effectively coin base is the robinhood of the crypto market… but coin base has the added revenue bonus of being able to charge people for their crypto purchases. Coinbase, in my opinion, will become the next PayPal.
4) Samsung
I am constantly impressed by the South Korean Tech giant’s ability to constantly diversify. Samsung initially started in textiles in the early 20th century, and has continuously expanded their product offerings across a plethora of consumer retail spaces. Most recently Samsung was the manufacturer for the latest Google pixel Tensor chip, and with Google hoping to compete with Apple (and yes samsung) in the mobile computing space, this brand is poised for takeoff.
4) Apple naturally
Apple’s marketing prowess in combination with its Tech innovation in the computing space is sending them skyrocketing to the top of most consumers’ wish retail lists. Though I will probably be on windows and android for a good few years, I can’t deny that Apple is an interesting brand that ALWAYS commands an audience.
I’ve noticed a shift with the latest iPhone thirteens that has prompted many android enthusiasts and even long-term Apple buyers to consider buying again. I believe Apple will probably ride the success of the 13 series iPhones and their latest M1 Max laptop. However, there are still many areas in the consumer index where Apple could succeed over 2022 like headphones and other wearable accessory derivatives.
5) Meta (Facebook)
Do you really think I could avoid putting this one on my list?
I don’t think anybody is fooled by Facebook’s new re-branding after 2021. However, that doesn’t mean we can’t expect interesting things from the social media giant and advertising giant.
Most recently, Meta has been really pivoting itself as a key player in the virtual reality space. One thing that virtual reality needs desperately right now is if is mass adoption. If mass adoption comes at the intersection of affordability and ease of use. Currently, affordability is low in the VR space and ease of use is clunky and bulky.
If both hardware and software in the VR space could use massive improvements, no software giant or hardware giant has taken the reins to fully realize these potential markets.
If Facebook can successfully brand itself as the company that owns and operates the new metaverse we are in for a good show.
These are brands I plan on looking forward to observing it observing in 2022, partially because of their success in 2021 and partially because of where I expect them to go in 2022. What do you think?
Thanks for reading to the end of this post. If you find the information I provide to be helpful, please consider subscribing.
Disclaimer: None of the information presented on this site constitutes legal, business, tax, or medical advice. In each scenario, it’s recommended to first chat with a medical, legal, business, or tax professional before making any decisions.
