Reports and Guides

Customer-centricity isn’t a nice-to-have. It’s a growth strategy. Engaged, loyal customers don’t just spend more—they come back more often, cost less to retain, and fuel stronger lifetime value. But building the kinds of experiences that truly matter takes more than good intentions. Ace brands—as defined by Braze—are top-performing companies that put customer-centricity at the core of their operations. They’re data-fueled, experience-driven, and focused on the full customer lifecycle. Backed by exclusive findings from the 2025 Braze Customer Engagement Review and insights from VML’s proprietary research, this guide unpacks the 10 critical areas in which top brands excel—and how the potent Braze x VML partnership helps make it happen. What you’ll learn: What defines an Ace brand—and how to become one Where “Activate” and “Accelerate” brands are on their journey Real-world strategies to drive engagement, loyalty, and revenue