Apple tops list of most 'intimate' brands among millennials

Disney, YouTube, Target, Amazon, Nintendo, Google, Xbox, Netflix, and Whole Foods filled out the top 10, MBLM said. Last year Disney, Amazon, and Netflix took the podium positions.

The data is based on emotional reactions, analyzing "the responses of 6,000 consumers and 54,000 brand evaluations across 15 industries in the U.S., Mexico and U.A.E." MBLM didn't elaborate on Apple's ranking, as it only plans to issue its full report on March 13.

Apple also claimed first place among people aged 18 to 24. There the brand mix was slightly different, with the rest of that top 10 including Amazon, YouTube, PlayStation, Starbucks, Nintendo, Google, Netflix, Coca Cola, and Walmart.

Since the heyday of the iPod, Apple has regularly tried to position itself as a youth brand, using high-energy advertising while keeping up on trends in movies, TV, and music — and selling its devices as must-have items.