How we score brands
The Retail Brands Index is built on the Retail Brand Score (RBS) framework — a structured, repeatable methodology for evaluating consumer brand attractiveness across 40 categories, 13 layers, and 4 strategic dimensions.
Framework basis
The RBS framework was developed independently to address a gap in how brand health is assessed in professional practice: existing frameworks were either too qualitative to be repeatable, or too narrowly financial to capture brand dynamics.
RBS is designed to be applied consistently across brands regardless of size, category, or geography — producing a comparable score that reflects both current strength and forward momentum.
4 Strategic dimensions
How strong, coherent, and defensible is the brand as an asset? Covers identity, heritage, creative direction, and cultural authority.
How well is the brand converting its equity into revenue, margin, and sustainable growth? Covers financial health, channel mix, and distribution efficiency.
Where is the brand heading and how fast? Covers expansion signals, hiring patterns, product pipeline, and trajectory classification.
What is the brand's exposure to downside — legal, regulatory, reputational, financial, or structural? Covers vulnerability, dependency, and distress indicators.
13 Evaluation layers
Each dimension is broken into layers — thematic groupings that structure how evidence is gathered and weighted.
40 Brand DNA categories
The 40 categories are the atomic unit of the framework — each one is scored individually, then aggregated through the layer and dimension structure into the final RBS score.
Scoring & stage classification
Each brand receives a score between 0 and 1,000 points. Scores are updated weekly as new signals are ingested. In addition to the numeric score, each brand is classified into one of five trajectory stages:
Early-stage brand with limited but growing market presence.
Accelerating momentum with strong trajectory signals.
Established market position with stable or gradually evolving brand.
High score but slowing momentum; at risk of stagnation.
Significant risk signals present regardless of absolute score.
Data access & publication
Summary scores for all indexed brands are visible to free registered users. Detailed category-level breakdowns, signal history, and trend data are available to Pro and Brand subscribers.
Brands may claim their profile to access a private dashboard with their full scoring detail, competitor tracking, and the Brand Intelligence Assistant. Claimed brand data is visible only to the verified brand account.