Executive Summary
This year, there was undoubtedly a surge in heritage-based marketing from some of the world’s most recognized brands. Netflix added multiple classic shows and legacy reboots; Instacart ran a “Summer Like It’s 1999” campaign—there was no shortage of material feeding consumers’ insatiable appetite for brand history and heritage.
In our second installment of the Heritage Gap Report™, we thought it was critical to investigate the surge in heritage content and continue our quest to answer the question, “Why heritage?”—the North Star of History Factory’s vision of making history infinitely useful. We assessed the relevance of history- and heritage-based content to consumers while also applying our expert lens to examine why some brands rose to the top of our Brand Heritage Index™ while others fell short. Our methodology shifted slightly to improve how we cross-compare consumer survey data and online behavior, as well as how we identify brands that fall on the index. Here’s what we learned:
- Younger adults are the loudest champions; around 70% of adults aged 18–34 show an interest in heritage.
- 74% of Americans would like to see more retro throwbacks from brands.
- 78% of Americans show interest in content related to founders, but 39% say companies already talk about their founders too much.
- A plurality of Americans say that posts addressing ethical difficulties in a brand’s past would make them trust the brand more (41–46%).
- Limited-edition, retro products are the leading type of content Americans find most appealing (from a field of 12 possible content themes).
- Marvel leads the category for brand heritage storytelling across multiple channels, ranking No. 1 on the Brand Heritage Index™ with the highest overall score of 84.
- Brands with dedicated corporate history and archives programs (Ford, Nike, Marvel, Xbox) consistently outperform those with ad hoc approaches.
Give Your Heritage New Meaning
You can’t shoehorn history and heritage into the present, let alone the future. They need to have contemporary relevance and resonance. But it’s the act of seeing heritage through a modern lens that gives it staying power.
Simply reviving retro branding might pay dividends in the short term, but if it doesn’t connect on a deeper level to consumers’ memories and ongoing experiences of a brand—and if it doesn’t have the potential to build new kinds of connections with younger generations—it will remain short-term. In the words of renowned marketing consultant Mark Schaefer, “The most human company wins.”
Download the full 2025 Heritage Gap Report™ to learn more by submitting your information below.