We know people love their iPhone. Like, they seriously love their iPhone. Now, we know exactly how much. Apple has been voted the “most intimate brand” in a survey of 6,000 participants across three different countries. In the survey, a number of questions were posed in an attempt to measure the emotional connection people feel with a brand — and Apple took the top spot.
Right behind Apple were the likes of Disney, Amazon, Harley Davidson, Netflix, Nintendo, Samsung, Whole Foods, BMW, and Toyota — which rounded out the top 10.
There’s an interesting trend here. As MBLM — the company behind the survey — notes, the top-ranked “intimate brands “continued to outperform the S&P and Fortune 500 indices in revenue and profit over the past 10 years. In other words, the more consumers have an emotional connection with a company, the more economic growth that company is likely to experience.
In the survey, the firm measured positive feelings respondents had for each brand, as well as how much the companies are associated with six different factors. Fulfillment is tied to how much the companies exceeded expectations and delivered a superior quality. Identity had to do with how much the companies reflected an aspirational image or admired values and beliefs. Enhancement related to becoming a better person through the use of the brand. Ritual had to do with integrating the brand into a person’s daily actions. Nostalgia focused on the memories associated with a brand. And finally, indulgence related to creating a close relationship centered around gratification.
It really isn’t all that much of a surprise to see the Apple and Disney up there in the top two spots — both of the companies are so ingrained in Western society that it would be more of a surprise if they didn’t make an appearance.
