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Generative AI is everywhere now. You see it in content, campaigns, customer experiences, and even internal workflows. It promises speed, scale, and efficiency, but there’s a harder question sitting underneath all that progress; Do your audiences actually trust it?

Trust in the Age of AI: What Consumers Really Think About AI Generated Content

Today, PR teams aren’t just tracking media coverage and share of voice. They’re also measuring how their brand shows up in AI-generated answers, search summaries, and large language models (LLMs). This new LLM visibility layer is quickly becoming a critical part of PR performance.

15 Must-Have PR KPIs and How to Track Them

See how one platform can power every decision across PR, communications, and marketing.

The Meltwater Blog

Blog Topics: Generative Engine Optimization, Media Intelligence, Media Relations, Social Listening, Consumer Intelligence, Influencer Marketing

Find out how you can leverage Facebook to boost your brand's online presence and gain a competitive edge. Explore the Meltwater category page today!

Facebook Blog | Meltwater

Find out how you can leverage Instagram to boost your brand's visual appeal and gain a competitive edge. Explore our category page today!

Instagram Blog | Meltwater

Find out how you can leverage LinkedIN to grow your professional network and gain a competitive edge. Explore the Meltwater category page today!

LinkedIn Blog | Meltwater

Find out how you can leverage TikTok to elevate your brand with creative content and gain a competitive edge. Explore the Meltwater category page today!

TikTok Blog | Meltwater

Find out how you can leverage X / Twitter to engage your audience effectively and gain a competitive edge. Explore the Meltwater category page today!

X / Twitter Blog | Meltwater

Find out how you can leverage YouTube to create engaging video content and gain a competitive edge. Explore the Meltwater category page today!

YouTube Blog | Meltwater

Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) is transforming how brands show up in AI-powered search. Explore insights, strategies, and best practices to help your content rank and resonate across conversational engines like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Copilot.

Explore insights and strategies for Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) to help your brand stay visible and discoverable in AI-powered search.

Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) Blog Collection | Meltwater

Every day billions of conversations take place on social media: tweets, posts, comments, blogs, reviews, podcasts, and much more.
Learn how to use social listening to make sense of all of that data.

On our social listening category page, you find all our blogs covering topics around social listening and social media monitoring. Read more.

Social Listening Blogs | Category

Business Reputation Management: What does it take to add reputation management to your marketing strategy? More importantly, how do you keep your reputation sparkly and shiny? Here’s your all-access guide to online reputation management for the long term.

On our reputation management category page, you find all our blogs covering topics around business reputation management. Read more.

Reputation Management Blogs | Category

From your brand's logo to your website, your social media presence to your customer support—these elements combined are what constitutes a brand in the minds of customers. But, there are thousands of other businesses that have a logo, website, social media presence, and website. So, how can you position your business on the market and make it stand out from the competition?
The key to success is branding & brand management!

On our brand management category page, you find all our blogs covering topics around brand management. Build your strategy and reach your goals!

Brand Management Blogs | Category

Competitive intelligence and the act of collecting competitive data can be seen as growth drivers for a company. Our guide will help you understand the concept of competitive intelligence (CI) by answering questions such as: What is the definition of competitive intelligence? How is competitive intelligence useful to organizations? What is the goal of competitive intelligence? And more.

On our competitive intelligence category page, you find all our blogs covering topics around competitive intelligence. Learn how to stay ahead.

Competitive Intelligence Blogs | Category

Let’s dive into the customer journey framework and how to optimize the process by creating a customer journey map and using metrics that matter when analyzing the customer journey.

On our customer journey category page, you find all our blogs covering topics around mapping and understanding the customer journey.

Customer Journey Blogs | Category

What Is Data Analytics? [Beginner’s Guide 2023]
How can I grow my business? 
How do customers interact with my newly launched product?
How do I increase the productivity of my employees?
How do I know if my marketing efforts are working?
We have just two words for you...Data analytics!

On our data analytics category page, you find all our blogs covering topics around AI and data analytics. Technical and still easy to understand.

AI & Data Analytics Blogs | Category

Public relations and media relations can add impact to any marketing strategy. It’s an opportunity for brands to grow their reach beyond traditional sales messages. PR helps to shape the image you want people to have of your brand.
So, what is PR and how do you use it? This guide shows you everything you need to know to build a strong public relations foundation.

On our public relations (PR) category page, you find all our blogs covering public relations and communications topics. Step up your PR game.

Public Relations (PR) Blogs | Category

We all know exactly what the roles of sales or accounting are in a company, right? We might even have a slight idea of what the IT guys are doing.
But there is another business discipline, that plays a crucial role in organizations, even more so during the pandemic – internal communications!
But what exactly do we mean by that, what purpose does it serve and what steps can you take to ensure you and your employees will communicate effectively?

On our internal communications category page, you find all our blogs about internal comms topics. Learn about the intranet, internal newsletters, and more.

Internal Communications Blogs | Category

As the internet has taken root in more areas of our lives — everything from entertainment to shopping to paying bills and more — traditional marketing is becoming less impactful. As any marketer knows, you need to focus on where your audience is if you want to reach them. Since the average person spends about seven hours a day online, it’s no surprise that content has maintained its hold on marketers.

Here's a closer look at what content marketing is and why it matters more than ever in our digital-first economy.

On our content marketing category page, you find blogs about content marketing topics. Learn about strategies, KPIs, tips, and more. Make your content king!

Content Marketing Blogs | Category

The rise of the influencer marketing space – today a $10 billion industry, growing 50% per year – is one of the clearest examples of how social media is transforming traditional marketing. These days having a business website, presence on social, PR coverage, and your own content isn’t enough to compete.
We'll dive into the intricacies of influencer marketing to help ensure that you're equipped with the insights needed to be successful in this space.

On our influencer marketing category page, you find blogs about influencer marketing topics. Build your strategy, find influencers, and measure results.

Influencer Marketing Blogs | Category

Have you just launched a new product or service that you want to get the word out about? Maybe you want to share with consumers why it is awesome and how it is so much better than the one your competitors offer.

Well, then, there is one thing you can't do without...Marketing!

On our marketing category page, you find blogs about marketing topics. Learn about all the different angles and types of marketing and improve your results.

Marketing Blogs | Category

In this guide, we want to give you a peek into the definition of social media management, the daily schedule of a social media manager, social media platforms to promote your business, and the do’s & don’ts of social media management.
Are you ready to begin the journey of becoming a social media superstar?

On our social media management category page, you find blogs about social media management topics. Build and manage your online community.

Social Media Management Blogs | Category

Building a following and using social media platforms to reach a wider audience requires a well-planned social media marketing strategy. In this guide, we’ll be looking at why social media marketing is so essential and how you can make it work for your business.

On our social media marketing category page, you find blogs about social media marketing topics. Learn how to get the highest paid social ROI!

Social Media Marketing Blogs | Category

In the fast-evolving realm of digital marketing and public relations, utilizing the right tools is crucial for success. Our interdisciplinary category showcases all the pertinent tools for digital marketing & PR. These tools help in enhancing your online presence and effectively reaching target groups, whether through reputation management, influencer marketing, or social media management.

On our digital marketing and PR tools category page, you find all our blogs covering topics around mapping and understanding the customer journey.

Digital Marketing & PR Tools Blogs | Category

Industry leaders predict that 2026 marketing will be transformed by multi-modal content, coordinated narrative intelligence, AI-based reputation monitoring, authenticity-driven video, and the rise of generative engine optimization (GEO). In this article, industry experts from Haleon, Cyabra, NCBA, the Orange County Fire Authority, Havas Red, and Converseon highlight the shift from traditional search and static campaigns to AI-shaped storytelling and high-fidelity data infrastructure. 

Marketers must prepare for a landscape where AI engines influence consumer perception, misinformation spreads faster, and human-centered stories carry more weight than polished creative.

1. Multi-Modal Social Content Will Surpass Text

2. Detecting Coordinated Disinformation Will Be a Competitive Advantage

3. AI Monitoring Becomes a Core Comms Discipline

4. The Rise of Authentic, Human-Centered Short-Form Video Storytelling

5. GEO: Generative Engine Optimization Becomes a Must-Have Strategy

6. Data Quality Becomes the Foundation of AI-Driven Marketing

Summary: The Five Marketing Truths of 2026

Marketing in 2026 will be defined by AI-shaped reputation, multi-modal content dominance, narrative intelligence, and authentic short-form video. As generative engines like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Google AI Overviews become primary gateways for consumer discovery, brands must rethink how stories are told, monitored, and safeguarded.

Industry leaders from Haleon, Cyabra, the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, the Orange County Fire Authority, Havas Red, and Converseon shared their predictions. Across perspectives, one theme is clear: 2026 is the year marketing shifts from reactive storytelling to proactive, AI-informed narrative management.

This blog summarizes their insights to help marketing, communications, and PR teams prepare for the year ahead.

1. Multi-Modal Social Content Will Surpass Text 

Prediction from Danny Gardner, Social Intelligence Lead, Haleon

Brands have already seen a surge in video-led engagement—but in 2026, that evolution accelerates dramatically.

“I believe we'll see this in both UGC, and organic owned social, from brands who intentionally lean into multi-modal content, for example, Instagram carousels or the TikTok equivalent. Maybe three times as many consumers and users are driven by social apps to express their creativity through multi-modal content creation.”

Multi-format content (IG carousels, TikTok multi-clips, sonic branding, mixed-media UGC) becomes essential, not optional.

Marketers must treat multi-modal listening as a core analytic discipline.

Brands should prepare for richness: visuals, audio, text overlays, and socially-native editing trends.

GenAI systems increasingly surface video-derived insights, especially when tied to trending entities or emotionally rich moments. Brands with multi-modal presence are more likely to appear in AI-summaries of what consumers are saying.

Learn how Haleon gains valuable customer insights using Meltwater. 

Prediction from Dan Brahmy, CEO & Co-Founder, Cyabra

AI-scaled misinformation will shape 2026 more dramatically than any previous year.

“By 2026, monitoring narratives alone won’t protect brands…AI has made it effortless to generate deepfakes, synthetic visuals, and convincing text at scale. Combined with bot networks, this means anyone can orchestrate sophisticated disinformation campaigns capable of undermining a brand’s reputation within hours.”

“The real challenge…is understanding the whole ecosystem: who is behind it, how it spreads, and where text, visuals, identities, and networks intersect.”

Basic monitoring is no longer enough; narrative + network + coordination intelligence is the new standard.

Reputation protection moves from observation to early threat detection and pattern analysis.

Marketers must build partnerships with cybersecurity, risk, and intelligence teams.

LLMs increasingly pick up on synthetic narratives. If brands don’t monitor coordinated manipulation, those narratives may surface in AI summaries before teams even detect them.

3. AI Monitoring is Now a Core Comms Discipline

Prediction from Will Swope, Associate Director, Issues Management & Monitoring, NCBA

Swope notes a major shift in where conversations happen, and who’s generating them:

“Billions of conversations are taking place each day with chatbots…Organizations will need to learn to spot and react to information from AI sources the same way they had to learn new ways of dealing with issues on social media platforms.”

“The speed at which AI adaptation is taking place will force this to become a priority in 2026, and Meltwater’s GenAI Lens will be one of the tools necessary to monitor this new technology.”

AI conversations now matter as much as human ones.

“What AI is saying about you” becomes a board-level KPI.

AI-source monitoring should be integrated into media intelligence workflows.

AI engines are now content creators and distributors, so monitoring them is no longer optional.

Discover how AI sees your brand, by using one of the best LLM tracking tools. 

Prediction from Greg Barta, Public Information Officer, Orange County Fire Authority

Audiences are burned out on overproduced brand content. In 2026, authenticity wins.

“Audiences are tuning out polished, overly produced content and responding instead to genuine, relatable moments…Organizations that empower their teams and spokespeople to tell human-centered stories…will see stronger engagement and trust.”

Behind-the-scenes content becomes a trust engine.

Authentic voices outperform perfect visuals.

Short-form video is now the primary storytelling format across TikTok, Reels, and YouTube Shorts.

LLMs tend to elevate content featuring clear storytelling, human language, and emotional cues, making authentic content more likely to appear in AI summaries.

5. GEO: Generative Engine Optimization is a Must-Have Strategy

Prediction from Melanie Klausner, EVP Consumer, Havas Red

“In 2026, brand reputation will be increasingly shaped not by what people search for, but by what AI answers. As generative engines like ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity, and SearchGPT become the default gateways to information, PR and earned media will evolve into strategic inputs for AI training data.”

Every press release, blog post, interview, and dataset becomes AI-indexed reputation infrastructure.

Teams must tailor narratives for the generative ecosystem, not just search.

Media outlets must become “algorithmically credible” or risk omission.

This aligns with how Google AI Overviews, Perplexity, and ChatGPT retrieve information: structured, factual, authoritative content wins.

6. Data Quality is Foundational for AI-Driven Marketing

Prediction from Rob Key, Founder & CEO, Converseon

As brands rush to adopt agentic AI, the overlooked risk is data quality.

“‘Is your data AI and research ready?’ is going to be a common refrain in 2026…The quality of insights and responsible use of agentic AI is directly related to underlying data quality issues.”

“New model governance systems…new NLP models like attitudes that go beyond basic sentiment…ways to measure ‘trust’…and predictive reputation and brand intelligence.”

Organizations must invest in data governance now.

Richer metadata, cleaner classification, and advanced modeling become competitive advantages.

AI hallucinations can be avoided with enterprise-grade data pipelines.

LLMs surface the cleanest, most coherent data they can find. If a brand’s data is noisy or inaccurate, AI engines may misrepresent it at scale.

Across these expert predictions, five themes stand out:

Multi-modal content dominates - video 2–3x more prevalent than text.

Coordinated deception grows - brands must detect networked misinformation.

AI monitoring becomes essential - AI is now a top-tier conversation source.

Authenticity beats polish - human, relatable storytelling drives trust.

GEO replaces SEO - AI citations, not search queries, shape brand reputation.

Audit “what AI says about you” across major LLMs.

Shift content strategy toward multi-modal, human-centered storytelling.

Strengthen narrative intelligence and early threat detection.

Prioritize authoritative, structured content designed for machine citation.

Marketing Trends 2026: What Industry Leaders Predict

When it comes to brand building, many food and beverage companies face the unique challenges in selling consumable products. Unlike reusable or multi-use products, wrappers get trashed, cups get recycled, and food gets eaten, reducing the amount of time available to create emotional connections and build exposure. That’s one reason some F&B brands start offering something with a bit more staying power: branded merchandise.
Merch is a way for food and beverage brands to nurture loyalty between moments of consumption. And while the concept of F&B swag isn’t new, Starbucks and Trader Joe’s achieved notable virality with each of theirs in 2025. Together, the tale of two merch lines — the Starbucks Bearista Cold Cups and the Trader Joe’s Canvas Tote Bags — can offer lessons for marketers about building excitement around brands. 

So, what can these viral merch moments of 2025 teach us about building brand affinity in the years ahead? We used Explore+ — Meltwater’s enterprise-grade media, social, and consumer intelligence solution — to find out.

Trader Joe’s Tote vs. Starbucks Bearista Cold Cup: How food and beverage merch goes viral

Our analysis of mentions across more than a dozen sources shows that the Trader Joe’s Tote bag and the Starbucks Bear Cup make up two sides of the same viral merch coin.

On one side, the Trader Joe’s Tote entered 2025 with existing buzz after having already gone viral with the release of mini versions of the bag in February 2024. The drop brought a surge of new attention to the US grocery chain’s canvas bags, first introduced in 1977. Media outlets like The New York Times, Business Insider, Vogue and BBC chronicled the tote’s rise to status symbol, particularly outside the US where there are no Trader Joe’s locations. It’s safe to say 2024 was the TJ’s tote’s big year, but interestingly the buzz around it has continued. 

In April 2025, there were about 7.3x more mentions of the bag than in the previous month, thanks to the drop of a limited-edition, pastel collection. Mentions spiked again, though to a lesser magnitude, in October with the release of another limited-edition collection, this time for Halloween. The food retailer’s ability to capitalize on virality — and meet its audience’s established love for limited-edition items — kept it in the wider cultural conversation longer than other affordable viral products, like, say, the Wirkin.

This New York Times Style Instagram post featuring a Trader Joe’s tote bag generated over $200,000 in Estimated Media Value according to Klear, Meltwater’s influencer intelligence solution.

On the flipside, the Starbucks Bearista Cold Cup emerged with a bang when it was released in early November. Mentions surpassed 12,000 by the end of the month as consumers discussed both the cup and the hype surrounding its release. 

Overall, the Trader Joe’s tote bag still had slightly more buzz, generating about 14,100 mentions from January to November 2025, compared to the Bearista’s 13,500. Not bad for a company with a much smaller footprint. (Note: The Bearista cup launched in the US and Canada this year, while Trader Joe’s is only located in the US.) However, in just over three weeks, the bear-shaped cup generated as much conversation as the canvas tote did all year, making it the king of F&B merch for 2025.

In the end, both Starbucks and Trader Joe’s are winning big in terms of visibility thanks to their affordable, collectible, culturally expressive, and coveted merch lines. And for Trader Joe’s in particular, viral merch has been key to propelling the American grocery store to global prominence. Other smaller or local F&B brands take note. 

Though instant virality is something many brands aspire to, it can come with controversy. That risk begs the question of which is better for brand affinity: the slow burn or the flash fire? We used Explore+ to analyze the sentiment of the Trader Joe’s Tote and Starbucks Bearista Cold Cup conversations to learn more. 

Our analysis found that nearly a third of all mentions of the Trader Joe’s bag were positive from January 1 to November 30, 2025. Top keywords included those focused on the bag itself, such as “new colors” and “long strap”. 

The conversation around Starbucks’s viral drinking vessel wasn’t quite as rosy. About a third of mentions of the bear cup were negative from January 1 to November 30, 2025. Top keywords like “chaos,” “fights,” and “crowd rush” highlight how much of the conversation focused on the frenzy around the merch drop. Complaints about limited stock, long lines, and even fights among customers largely overshadowed discussion about the item at the center of it all.

At least in the case of the chic tote vs. the cute cup, the slow burn seems to have resulted in more favorable sentiment for Trader Joe’s, a signal of strong brand affinity. For marketers, the lesson here is that discussion volume is only the tip of the iceberg. Digging into the emotional contours of the conversation via sentiment and keyword analyses can help brands deepen their understanding of consumer preferences and demands.

What marketers can learn from the buzz around viral food and beverage merch

For F&B marketers—and any brand looking to build loyalty—viral merch offers a powerful way to extend brand awareness and emotional connection beyond the product itself. The Trader Joe’s tote demonstrates that the right item meeting the cultural moment at just the right time can spark valuable conversations, even in markets you don’t physically serve. On the other hand, the Starbucks cup was overshadowed by the frenzy around the launch. Stronger social intelligence could have identified those early warning signals and adapted the rollout with preventive mechanisms.

At the end of the day, knowing your audience and anticipating how they might react to a campaign is key. It’s important to tailor a campaign to the audience and actively monitor how it performs so adjustments can be made in real time. When all goes well, fans will drive favorable brand storytelling on social media — leveraging and building on that value in the long term calls for diving deeper into the data for insights that can drive future brand strategies.

FAQ: Viral Food & Beverage Merch and Brand Building

Why is branded merchandise important for food and beverage companies?
Branded merchandise lets F&B companies extend brand awareness and emotional connection beyond moments of consumption. Unlike consumable products, merch like Trader Joe’s Canvas Tote or Starbucks Bearista Cold Cup last longer, offering fans a tangible connection to your brand and boosting loyalty even in markets where your stores aren’t present.

How can F&B merch go viral?
Virality occurs when a product meets the cultural moment and resonates visually and emotionally with fans. Limited-edition drops, collectible designs, and social-shareable items can drive conversations across social media and earned media. For example, the Starbucks Bearista Cold Cup generated massive buzz in just a few weeks, while Trader Joe’s tote leveraged sustained interest over months.

What’s the difference between short-term and long-term virality?
Short-term, “flash fire” virality creates instant attention but can lead to polarized sentiment or operational challenges. Long-term, “slow burn” virality builds consistent positive sentiment, strengthens brand affinity, and allows smaller brands to punch above their weight. Trader Joe’s tote demonstrates the value of measured, repeatable drops, whereas Starbucks’ bear cup shows the excitement—and risks—of explosive launches.

How does merch impact brand affinity across different geographic markets?
Viral merch can extend brand reach globally, even in regions without physical stores. Fans become storytellers, sharing experiences online and generating buzz that transcends geographic limitations. Trader Joe’s tote, for example, saw significant mentions internationally despite the chain’s US-only presence.

How can brands measure the success of viral merch?
Success should be measured beyond volume of mentions. Tools like Meltwater’s Explore+ allow brands to track sentiment, keywords, and conversation context, helping marketers understand how buzz affects brand perception, customer sentiment, and loyalty over time.

Can viral merch be used by smaller or local F&B brands?
Yes. Even brands with limited footprints can leverage merch to spark conversations and build cultural relevance. Strategic drops, attention to design, and social amplification can create outsized impact, as Trader Joe’s demonstrates.

Ready to gain a deeper understanding of what gets your audience buzzing? Fill out the form below to test drive Meltwater's suite of social, media, and consumer intelligence solutions. 

Viral Food & Beverage Merch: Lessons from Trader Joe’s & Starbucks

2025 saw rebrands from three major brands — Cracker Barrel, HBO Max, and Jaguar — but which one got the biggest buzz from online audiences? We used our consumer intelligence solution, Explore+, to dig into the data. 

What were the biggest corporate rebrands of 2025?

Which corporate rebrand got the biggest buzz in 2025?

Cracker Barrel, HBO Max, and Jaguar had three of the biggest corporate rebrands of 2025. First, Jaguar launched its rebrand late in 2024 — complete with a new typeface, color palette, and logos — which continued to generate buzz into 2025. Next, the streamer formerly known as HBO Now (and then HBO Max and then Max) re-rebranded as HBO Max on July 9. Finally, on August 19, Cracker Barrel announced its rebranded diner design, menus, and logo, removing the “Old Timer” character leaning on a barrel and leaving only the chain’s name. The announcement sparked backlash from conservative groups in the US, leading Cracker Barrel to scrap the new logo.

From January 1 to November 15, 2025, social media users mentioned the Cracker Barrel rebrand about 351,000 times, significantly more than they discussed Jaguar’s rebrand (about 43,700 mentions) or HBO Max’s (about 40,000 mentions). Social media discussions about the Cracker Barrel rebrand also generated significantly higher levels of engagement, peaking at about 7.8 million in July 2025 alone. 

However, the conversation around Cracker Barrel has one important caveat: Much of it was generated by bots, according to reporting from The Wall Street Journal. As Meltwater Chief Product Officer Chris Hackney recently told Marketing Brew, bots are now a part of the digital landscape brands are facing. “Are your customers listening to those narratives, and how do you react?” he said. “And at what speed can you react to put forward the narrative that you think is true and accurate for your brand?”

And unlike Cracker Barrel’s acute spike in mentions and engagement by far, our analysis found that discussions about HBO Max’s and Jaguar’s rebrands took place over longer periods of time. 

For example, HBO Max’s July 2025 rebrand was being discussed as early as April, when the platform, still known as Max, changed its brand colors. The following month, Warner Bros. Discovery announced the forthcoming name change. By early July, volume of and engagement with the discussion was at a three-month low, making for a seamless re-rebrand. Consumers were used to it before it happened, best illustrated by the Warner Bros. Discovery press release stating simply: “It's good to be Home.” Meanwhile, in summer 2025, there was a resurgence of discussion of Jaguar’s 2024 rebrand with announced changes in company leadership, highlighting how brand perception is ongoing, with multiple opportunities to clarify messaging and positioning.  

Rebrands are a long-term game requiring long-term, intentional engagement with audiences to get right. Phased or gradual changes can smoothen the process. Meanwhile, dramatic spikes in conversation and controversy don’t always translate into genuine engagement. In the AI-age, bots are a constant threat, needing to be analyzed and assessed accordingly. Ultimately, rebrands are costly investments that can turn into expensive lessons. It’s imperative that brands test the waters, validate sentiment, and truly understand their audiences before committing.  

Which companies had the biggest corporate rebrands in 2025?

Cracker Barrel, HBO Max, and Jaguar had three of the biggest corporate rebrands of 2025. Jaguar launched its rebrand late in 2024 with a new typeface, color palette, and logos which generate into 2025. Max re-rebranded as HBO Max on July 9. Finally, on August 19, Cracker Barrel announced its rebranded diner design, menus, and logo. Backlash from conservative groups in the US led Cracker Barrel to scrap the new logo.

Which rebrand generated the most social media buzz in 2025?

Cracker Barrel generated the largest buzz on social media, with about 351,000 mentions of its rebrand. That is significantly more than mentions of Jaguar’s rebrand (about 43,700) or HBO Max’s (about 40,000). 

What was the sentiment around corporate rebrands in 2025?

Cracker Barrel had the highest positive sentiment at 16% and HBO Max had the lowest negative sentiment at 40%, showing that even when rebrands generate controversy or fluctuating buzz, certain measures of success can still be achieved.

Get the hard data on how much buzz your brand generates online. Tour our solution listening solution or fill out the form below for a free demo. 

2025’s Biggest Rebrands: Lessons from Cracker Barrel, HBO Max, and Jaguar

In an age of AI-generated content and growing scrutiny in a fragmented media landscape,  audiences are increasingly questioning what is real and who they can trust.  

The Digital 2025 Australia report revealed that 75% of Australians are concerned about distinguishing real or fake content online - and more than half are turning to influencers and social platforms not just for entertainment, but for brand research and recommendations.  At the same time, the 2025 Edelman Trust Barometer shows trust in established institutions - media, government and business - has hit an all-time low.

What this tells us is that people are seeking out voices that feel real - relatable creators, peer communities and content that’s unpolished but honest. This shift is reshaping influence: audiences are gravitating toward micro-influencers and community-led conversations that reflect their own values and experiences.

So, what’s next for brands? It is no longer just about where you engage your audiences or who you partner with. The real opportunity lies in how you build trust - starting with your own channels as the foundation for all others to follow. 

From reach to relevance: the new rules of influence

As consumers are tuning out overly produced ads and seeking more relatable and honest storytelling that fosters meaningful connection, brands need to step back from chasing vanity metrics and viral trends to meet fleeting algorithms - and rather align their social presence with the brand’s core values. 

This not only includes their own social channels, but the influencers they partner with. While influencer marketing has long been a core strategy for brands to engage with audiences authentically, it is evolving fast - with creator-generated revenue expected to reach $184.9 billion this year according to WPP Media’s mid-year outlook. Today, fit trumps fame. Micro-influencers with smaller, values-aligned communities often generate higher engagement and deeper trust than polished celebrity endorsements. When brands co-create with these influencers and empower them to tell stories in their own voices, the content feels more genuine and performs better.

Using AI-powered insights, they can better identify the right creators whose content, audience profiles and ‘expertise’ align closely with their brand values and campaign goals. The best partnerships aren’t just about reach - they are about relevance.

Lead with insight and own the narrative for brand authority

We can agree that trust is not just earned or built overnight - it needs to be owned. Whilst building credible partnerships is an essential part of a brand’s strategy to establish trust, in a digital world where misinformation spreads fast and influencer missteps can quickly derail a brand, relying solely on third-party voices is risky.

That’s why brands must also focus on strengthening their own authority - anchoring their strategy in authenticity, consistency and insight-driven decision making.

True brand credibility doesn’t happen by accident. It requires showing up consistently to build a credible voice across all channels, staying true to your values and investing in the right tools to monitor perception, measure impact and respond quickly to reputational risks. 

Media intelligence capabilities are no longer a nice-to-have. They are essential for understanding how your brand is being talked about, by whom and in what context.

Successful brands are adopting a multi-channel approach, recognising that each platform plays a distinct role in the customer journey. By leveraging AI, large language models (LLMs) and social listening, they can uncover real-time insights into key audience behaviours and interests, content styles that matter to different age groups and audience segments, as well as shifting sentiment. This allows them to build more personalised, authentic campaigns that cut through the noise, drive genuine connections and long-term engagement, but also protect the brand’s reputation. 

In a dynamic digital media world where trust is in short supply, the brands that thrive will be those with a strong owned presence, a clear and credible voice, and the ability to engage audiences authentically at every touchpoint.

The Meltwater Blog

Marketing Trends 2026: What Industry Leaders Predict

Viral Food & Beverage Merch: Lessons from Trader Joe’s & Starbucks

2025’s Biggest Rebrands: Lessons from Cracker Barrel, HBO Max, and Jaguar

Authenticity is the new brand currency

Do Consumers Trust QR Codes?

Three F1 Movie Activations That Drove Big Online Buzz

What Is The Marketing Mix? 4Ps & 7Ps of Marketing

The Top 5 Trends from Meltwater Summit 2025

Bringing Insights to Everybody - Meltwater Agent for Microsoft

Major Moments from Meltwater Summit 2025, Day 2

Major Moments from Meltwater Summit 2025, Day 1

How Early You Should Get to the Airport, According to Social Media