The 5 U.S. brands are using purpose and community building to connect with consumers

Though the companies being honored in the 2024 Brands That Matter United States category are grouped based on their geography, they also share an ability to connect with their consumers by emphasizing purpose and community building.

For online vet company Dutch, that means leaning into entertaining, pet-centric social content while lobbying to make telehealth for pets legal across the country. At payroll startup Homebase, connection means celebrating the tenacity of small-business owners while making hour-tracking easier for employees and operators.

Through creative storytelling and a commitment to inclusivity and sustainability, these brands stand out for their ability to inspire, empower, and deliver innovative products with lasting value.

Big Fig

As a maker of mattresses tailored to the needs of plus-size consumers, Big Fig has been focused on empowering that community. The brand has built trust among its target audience by openly addressing traditionally stigmatized topics like plus-size sex and expanding its Big Fig Collective—an advisory board of plus-size brand ambassadors—with new members in 2024, including Tigress Osborn, who leads the National Association to Advance Fat Acceptance (NAAFA). Through marketing campaigns featuring diverse models as well as promoting and donating to organizations like NAAFA, Big Fig offers more than just mattresses—it’s ensuring that its customers feel supported in every sense.

Clarins

French beauty brand Clarins uses natural plant extracts to create skincare products while promoting sustainable beauty practices. This year, the brand introduced Cryo-Flash, a cooling face mask that became a bestseller and a TikTok sensation by impressing beauty influencers. Social media also helped promote Clarins’ stress-aging product line with a Y2K-themed launch party—which featured a Christina Aguilera performance and Lindsay Lohan appearance that went viral. It also tapped into Gen Z beauty enthusiasm with Rush Week campaigns for sorority rush. Outside social media, Clarins supports its growth by focusing on regenerative farming, adding 115 hectares of French land in 2024 to grow its ingredients.

Dutch

Dutch is a telehealth veterinary care startup that addresses critical gaps in pet healthcare, with a focus on affordability, accessibility, and innovation. Membership starts at $11 per month and includes unlimited vet visits and free prescription deliveries. The company also provides holistic treatment plans that combine medication, behavioral, and environmental modifications for common pet issues like anxiety, allergies, and arthritis. Last year, Dutch redefined its social media strategy, shifting from educational posts to viral memes and user-generated content. The move drove a 1,700% surge in Instagram followers (now numbering more than 473,000) and fueled 550% YOY revenue growth in 2023. Dutch also played a pivotal role in the passage of California’s AB-1399, which legalized virtual veterinary care in October 2023. The company is actively working to make virtual care legal in all 50 states.

Exiger

Exiger is an AI supply chain leader that provides visibility and risk-management solutions for the world’s most complex supply chains, from the Department of Defense to AWS and L’Oréal. Founded in 2013, the company is dedicated to advancing societal goals such as eradicating modern slavery, for which it developed the world’s largest forced-labor database, allowing customers to address supply chain disruptions and mitigate risk. In 2024, Exiger launched its first-ever brand campaign, “Save the Day,” showcasing supply chain professionals as ordinary heroes making a global difference. The campaign was activated at Gartner’s Supply Chain Symposium/Xpo—complete with custom superhero caricature drawings and take-home coloring books—and it amassed over 1 million impressions in its first week. Exiger also launched the first apprenticeship program for supply chain professionals registered with the Department of Labor, partnering with the Institute for American Apprenticeship.

Homebase

HR startup Homebase is focused on making payroll more straightforward for small businesses with hourly employees, pioneering “zero-click payroll” by integrating payroll and time-clock tools. Its brand platform, “Unstoppable Teams,” emerged from consumer research to celebrate the resilience of small-business teams. The brand positioning included Homebase’s Grits and Greenlights YouTube series, which features investor Matthew McConaughey interviewing and advising small businesses. In 2024, Homebase debuted its inaugural Top Local Workplace Awards, spotlighting teams behind Main Street businesses, which saw local businesses share their awards across social media.

This story is part of Fast Company’s 2024 Brands That Matter. Explore the full list of honorees that have demonstrated a commitment to their brand’s purpose and cultural relevance to their audience. Read more about the methodology behind the selection process.