New report combines data and culture, revealing why specificity beats scale in modern brand collaborations
NEW YORK, Dec. 10, 2025 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Tracksuit, the brand tracking platform redefining how marketers measure impact, has partnered with Bimma Williams, founder of Bimma Collab Consultancy and widely recognized as "The Voice of Collabs," who helps brands build cultural relevance and measurable commercial momentum. Tracksuit and Bimma today released the 2025 Collab of the Year, a first-of-its-kind report balancing consumer data and expert opinions to uncover what makes a brand collaboration truly work — both culturally and commercially.
As collaborations become one of marketing's loudest languages, most brands still struggle to speak it fluently. The study blends data from over 2,000 U.S. consumers with cultural insight from Bimma's Collab Cousins, a global network of creators, journalists, strategists, and operators, to pinpoint what makes a partnership truly effective. The central finding: the sneaker collaborations that moved consumers in 2025 were both true and surprising — proving that relevance comes from specificity, not scale.
Collaboration That Matters
Tracksuit and Bimma developed the COLLAB Index, a scoring system designed to measure the cultural and commercial impact of brand partnerships. It combines Tracksuit's consumer data with expert evaluations from Collab Cousins to create a unified score that reflects both what people felt and why it mattered.
The Index evaluates each collaboration across six dimensions that connect cultural resonance to brand growth: Chemistry, Originality, Legacy, Leadership, Audience Engagement, and Brand Energy.
The evaluation revealed a single winning formula for impact: Truth + Surprise.
- Truth without surprise is boring — brands playing it safe.
- Surprise without truth is gimmicky — hype without meaning.
- Truth + Surprise delivers both cultural and commercial results.
In a world obsessed with scale, the Index shows that specificity beats size. The strongest collaborations built intensity with the right audience, not just reach with everyone.
Sneakers as the Blueprint for Brand Building
For the 2025 Collab of the Year Report, this framework was applied to the sneaker industry, a category that has long defined collaboration culture. From Nike's groundbreaking deal with Michael Jordan in 1985 to today's global drops, sneakers have shaped how brands create meaning and momentum.
"Sneakers combine design, identity and storytelling, making them a strong measure of what drives both hype and long-term brand equity," said Bimma. "Every drop is a live test of how a brand shows up in culture and what truly connects with audiences."
Key Insights from the 2025 Collab of the Year Report:
- Relevance Over Reach: The highest-impact collaborations traded mass exposure for precision and authenticity.
- Built for the Core: The top collaboration, Nigel Sylvester × Jordan 4 "Brick by Brick," achieved only 4% general awareness — but 67% among fans familiar with both the brand and the collaborator.
- Representation Drives Resonance: A'ja Wilson × Nike "A'One" scored exceptionally among women (80% likeability) and Black consumers (82%), proving that designing with communities — not around them — creates momentum.
"The strongest collaborations don't chase virality. They build meaning," said Matt Herbert, Cofounder of Tracksuit. "When brands design for the right audience with the right partner, they create depth instead of noise."
A New Playbook for Marketers
The report's takeaway is clear: effective collaborations aren't about reach — they're about resonance. Brands that serve small, passionate communities with intention can drive greater value than those chasing mass appeal.
For more information, please check out the full Collab of the Year Report here.
About Tracksuit
Tracksuit is the beautiful, always-on brand tracking platform trusted by over 1,000 consumer brands worldwide. Tracksuit surveys thousands of people each week to deliver insights on key brand metrics—awareness, consideration, usage, preference, and perception—across markets, demographics, and competitors. Founded in 2021, the company operates in 25 markets, including the US, Canada, the UK, Ireland, France, Germany, Australia, and New Zealand. www.tracksuit.com
About Bimma Williams
Bimma Williams is the founder of Bimma Collab Consultancy and a leading authority in culture-first brand strategy. Recognized by HYPEBEAST as "The Voice of Collabs," he has also been honored on Adweek's Creative 100 and Footwear News' 2025 Sneaker Power List. His culturally fluent approach helps brands unlock relevance, resonance, and revenue through storytelling and strategic collaboration. His work has generated more than $1.5 billion in revenue for global leaders, including Nike, adidas, Yeezy, and Saucony.
Based in Portland, Oregon, Bimma is known for translating cultural insight into strategic action—developing breakthrough narratives, community-rooted initiatives, and high-impact consumer experiences for the world's most influential brands.
For more information, visit www.bimmawilliams.com.
Media Contact
Gia Marrollo, Tracksuit, 1 4842647001, [email protected], https://www.gotracksuit.com/us
Bimma, [email protected]
SOURCE Tracksuit
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