Roger Fingas
Entertainment megacorporation Disney has, for the first time, replaced Apple at the top of MBLM's annual "Brand Intimacy" study in the U.S., gauging the emotional attachments manufactured by brands.
Disney did well because of its nostalgic associations, and the "strong bonds it builds with both men and women and across a variety of age groups," MBLM said. Apple meanwhile "lost some luster" because of "well-publicized missteps and consumer gadget fatigue," the firm explained. Amazon, Chevrolet, Netflix, Harley-Davidson, PlayStation, YouTube, Ford, and Chick-fil-A rounded out the top 10.
To create the U.S. rankings 6,200 people were polled during 2018. Respondents were limited to those aged 18 to 64, and household income of $35,000 or higher. In separate polls in Mexico and the United Arab Emirates, Apple retained first place.
It's not clear what specific Apple mis-steps MBLM is referring to. The company has dealt with a variety of incidents in the past year though, such as the controversy over throttled performance for iPhones with weakened batteries. Under public pressure Apple was forced to make that throttling optional and offer discounted battery replacements. It was also hit with a number of legal actions, including a fine by the Italian government
Both Apple and Amazon did well with younger demographics, like last year, MBLM noted. In terms of class, Apple was the top brand among people making between $100,000 and $200,000 per year — people below that income picked Amazon.
Charles Martin
Christine McKee
Wesley Hilliard
Malcolm Owen
Andrew Orr
William Gallagher
Sponsored Content
9 Comments
Glad to see Apples partner at the top.
Does the term "brand intimacy" creep any out or is ti just me?
I couldn't care less what "brand intimacy" is about. All I know is that when it comes down to things that matter, like privacy and security, I know that Apple has my back. The slew of devices coming out like Samsung's iTunes-compatible TV's have me worried. While I trust Apple to keep my credentials secure, 3rd-party folks that place security and privacy on the back-burner can wreak all kinds of havoc.
Those that know Apple know this is just a 15-minute fad piece.
what is brand intimacy and why does anyone care?
Interesting that the only other device maker in the top ten is Amazon (#3, with a score close to #2 Apple). The term "brand intimacy" is cringe-worthy. The top car makers in the list (Chevy and Ford) have significantly lower scores. Would have expected other car/truck makers to have had higher scores in the US ratings (Fiat-Chrysler, Toyota, Honda, VW) - some are listed in the 10-20 grouping. Wonder about the detailed demographic breakdown of those surveyed. Don't believe "brand intimacy" squares with either long-term quality, reliability or ease of use.