Apple Leads among Brands Overall

Brand Intimacy is the emotional science behind the bonds consumers form with the brands they use and love. Positive emotional connection with Tech & Telecom brands holds strong in year 2 of the pandemic. Apple tops list of brands overall and in the tech and telco industry, it is followed by Google and Samsung, according to MLBM’s new Brand Intimacy COVID study.

Major corporations work hard to cultivate and develop their brand identity. Ultimately they want to build intimate bonds with the consumer. Brand Intimacy is the emotional science behind the bonds consumers form with the brands they use and love. The tech & telecom industry ranks 4^th out of the 10 industries featured in MBLM’s 2021 Brand Intimacy COVID Study, a study of brands based on emotional connections during the pandemic. MBLM (pronounced Emblem) uses emotional science to build and manage more intimate brands. Apple ranks as the #1 most intimate brand overall in the study and as the #1 tech & telecom brand, followed by Google and Samsung, respectively.

MBLM’s study reveals that the remaining brands in the top 10 for the tech & telecom industry are Verizon, AT&T, Microsoft, Dell, LG, HP and Sony. Performance has improved, and the industry average is up seven percent since before the pandemic. Top intimate brands have also continued to outperform leading brands in the Fortune 500 and S&P indices in profit, and stock price growth over the last year, generating an additional US $16 billion in profit.

“Tech & telecom brands continue to be critical in keeping us connected to our work and loved ones in the second year of the pandemic,” stated Mario Natarelli, managing partner, MBLM. “They have shifted their focus on weathering the pandemic to establishing new policies and procedures and protecting against misleading information. The brands that continue to recognize this continued period of uncertainty and address their role in helping us weather this crisis will likely be the ones with the greatest gains in building stronger emotional bonds.”

  The average telco brand intimacy quotient is much higher than the cross-industry average.

Brand Intimacy in the Tech/Telco Industry: Additional Findings

• The industry has an average Brand Intimacy Quotient of 45.7, well above the cross-industry average of 38.3
• Tech & telecom performs better with men than women, and with consumers over 35 years versus those under 35
• Across gender, age and income there is considerable alignment around top intimate brands, including Apple and Google
• Enhancement remains the dominant industry archetype
• Compared to MBLM’s previous COVID study, more than 32 percent of consumers have an increased positive emotional connection with tech & telecom brands
• Samsung is the top brand for men, replacing Google, while Apple remains the top brand for women and users under 45
  

    Compared to MBLM’s previous COVID study, more than 32 percent of consumers have an increased positive emotional connection with tech & telecom.

MBLM also analyzed the telco industry in an article entitled, “Facilitating Communication & Interaction during the Pandemic.” The piece looks at how tech & telecom brands are navigating new challenges in response to COVID and their communications during this time.f

To view the technology & telecommunications industry findings, please click here. Additionally, to download the main Brand Intimacy COVID Study report or explore the Rankings, click here.