As another year draws to a close, so come many “best of” lists that attempt to provide perspective on what has happened over the past 12 months. Since we at Affinity Answers have shown that engagement on social media is parallel to everything from TV success or failure to stock prices, we’d like to highlight a few brands which have shown the highest engagement growth in their category and may just be the ones to watch in 2015:

Brand: Flips Audio
Engaged Fans week ending 1/8: 23
Engaged Fans week ending 12/3: 21,564

While so much chatter in audio centered on Beats and Bose, Flips steadily showed the most growth in engagement over all other brands, audio or otherwise. What’s interesting is that the Flips Audio philosophy is similar to social media: transform music listening from a solo experience to a party atmosphere. With a next generation model just introduced, it just might be a brand to watch in 2015.

TV Show: Halt and Catch Fire
Engaged Fans week ending 1/8: 2
Engaged Fans week ending 12/3: 23,773

In a year where so much happened in the world of television, a show about the PC revolution set in 1980s Silicon Prairie Texas was the one that really caught fire on social media. Not only did it attract much engagement on social media, it was the first television show ever to premiere on Tumblr. Shortly after the season finale aired, AMC picked the show up for a second season to air in summer 2015. How this engagement on social media translates to viewership will be interesting to watch.

Movie: Heaven is for Real
Engaged Fans week ending 1/8: 12,528
Engaged Fans week ending 12/3: 3,377,817

The key to engagement in any forum, not just social media, is often introducing themes that are either universally relatable or controversial. The film Heaven is for Real arguably did both by adapting to the screen the 2010 book that tells the story of a boy who claims he visited heaven while having emergency surgery. Whether or not your own beliefs align with the characters’, the subject matter is bound to generate engagement either way. Engagement with the film was undoubtedly also sustained by Teen Choice Award and People’s Choice Award nominations.

Which brands will be the fastest engagers of 2015? That remains to be seen, but for sure, they will either be share-worthy, based on compelling and controversial content – or maybe even both!

How will your brand make its mark in 2015?