The Best Brands on Social Media in 2025: Pioneering Creativity and Connection

Welcome to a special edition of our Post Performance Report (PPR), where we spotlight the best brands on social media in 2025. These trailblazers didn’t just capture attention; they sparked conversations, drove engagement, and redefined social media excellence. Whether you’re looking for inspiration or actionable insights, these examples will ignite your creativity while proving you can achieve more with less.

Here’s our curated list of brands that dominated social media in 2025, spanning industries from food and beverage to technology and government. These brands stood out by leveraging unexpected platforms, harnessing bold strategies, and creating authentic connections with their audiences.

Food & Beverage: Turning Platforms Upside Down

Surreal Cereal: LinkedIn’s Most Unexpected Star

Who would have thought a breakfast cereal could conquer LinkedIn? Surreal Cereal did just that by posting whimsical 35-slide carousels that challenge readers to stick around until the end. These quirky posts manage to weave in product mentions subtly, creating a buzz among professionals.

The Play: Take a page from Surreal Cereal’s book by exploring unconventional platforms. Maintaining your brand’s voice while aligning with audience interests can make your content irresistible.

Beyond Meat: Owning the Chaos on Threads

Beyond Meat perfected the “unhinged” persona on Threads with its conversational, stream-of-consciousness posts. This seemingly casual approach is part of a larger effort to reestablish trust and positive sentiment around the brand after previous challenges.

The Play: To stand out, embrace authenticity and unpredictability while tying your strategy to a broader business objective. Create a unique space on emerging platforms to re-engage audiences.

Sports Meets Pop Culture: McDonald’s x Mets

Grimace, McDonald’s iconic purple character, became an unexpected sports hero in 2025. After a viral moment throwing the first pitch for the New York Mets, Grimace evolved into an unofficial mascot, spawning TikTok trends, subway takeovers, and fan-driven activations.

The Play: Listen to your fans and lean into organic partnerships. Sometimes, the best collaborations are the ones your audience initiates.

Tech Companies Showcasing Humanity

Currys: Employee-Driven Social Brilliance

The UK’s leading tech retailer, Currys, uses employee-led content infused with humor and trending formats to connect with audiences. From showcasing air fryers in clever skits to tapping into Gen Z’s sensibilities, their strategy is a masterclass in audience alignment.

The Play: Build trust and engagement by showcasing the people behind your brand. Whether through humor or relatable stories, humanizing your content goes a long way.

Canva: Revolutionizing Product Launches

Canva’s Droptober campaign redefined how to communicate product updates. By combining team-led content with gamified storytelling, they avoided jargon and instead focused on the real-life value their tools bring.

The Play: Prioritize storytelling over technical details. Highlight how your offerings fit into your audience’s daily lives to drive excitement and engagement.

Cisco: Making B2B Social Relatable

From day-in-the-life vlogs to heartwarming customer stories, Cisco proves that even technical brands can thrive on TikTok. Their people-first approach demystifies complex topics while fostering trust.

The Play: Don’t shy away from platforms dominated by B2C brands. Relatable, human-centric storytelling can make your B2B brand a standout.

Disruptive Tech: Nothing’s Community-Led Movement

Nothing’s CEO Carl Pei has become the face of the brand’s unique marketing approach, blending slick visuals with candid moments on TikTok and YouTube. By involving their community in product development, they’ve cultivated an engaged and loyal audience.

The Play: Founder-led content can humanize your brand while reinforcing its disruptive ethos. When done well, this strategy builds trust and connection.

Government Agencies: Blending Humor and Education

AZ DOT: Engaging with a Quirky Twist

The Arizona Department of Transportation leverages humor and relatability in their posts, from funny highway safety messages to progress updates on road projects. By balancing levity with utility, they’ve built a social presence that’s both informative and entertaining.

The Play: Edutainment is a powerful tool. Mix humor with value-driven messaging to keep your audience informed and engaged.

Key Takeaways for 2025

Dare to Be Different: Break free from platform norms and experiment with bold, unexpected strategies.
Put People First: Showcase the faces behind your brand to foster trust and relatability.
Lean into Authenticity: Whether through humor or unpolished content, authenticity is the key to building meaningful connections.
Stay Audience-Centric: Understand your audience’s preferences, platforms, and cultural touchpoints to craft content that resonates.
Experiment Fearlessly: Don’t be afraid to try new platforms, formats, or personas—some of the best ideas emerge from uncharted territory.

As these brands have shown, success in 2025 isn’t about following trends—it’s about setting them. Ready to make your mark? Let’s create something unforgettable.