Few industries rival technology for its reach, relevance, and resilience. Tech brands shape the modern human experience, from the devices that anchor our attention to the platforms that mediate how we work, connect, and dream. This year’s 2025 Brand Intimacy Study underscores their dominance: Within the tech and telecom industry, Apple ranks first with a Brand Intimacy Quotient (BIQ) of 63.7, followed by Microsoft (#2 BIQ 61.2) and Google (#3 BIQ 59.9). These are not only the most valuable companies in the world but also some of the most emotionally resonant with consumers.
Yet the paradox is glaring: In an era when AI is everywhere—ubiquitous, ambient, almost inescapable— are these brands actually deepening emotional bonds or eroding them?
Fortresses of Devotion
More than simply a sector selling products, tech has become an ecosystem shaping life and business. Apple, still at the top of the Brand Intimacy rankings, is today less about a phone and more about a lifestyle lock-in. Microsoft, rising into the top 10 overall for the first time, has transformed into a subscription powerhouse, embedding itself into both enterprise workflows and daily consumer rituals.
Nvidia’s surge into the industry’s top 10 is perhaps the story of the year. Once a niche chipmaker, it is now the darling of the AI boom, supplying an estimated 80% of the world’s leading AI chips1 and driving an arms race across industries. AMD (#11 in tech, BIQ 66.8) and Intel (#16 in tech, BIQ 61.4) are enjoying a halo effect.
Even traditional hardware companies have mastered SaaS economics. Apple’s “Services” division now generates over $100 billion annually2, growing at double-digit rates. Google dominates search with a 90% global share3, while YouTube (#6 overall, BIQ 60.5) redefines entertainment.
Tech brands as a category score 17% higher than the average BIQ across all industries, driven by fulfillment (delivering superior service and performance) and enhancement (making users smarter, more capable, and more connected). These are fortresses of devotion. Yet leadership in intimacy is not concentrated among the giants alone. Dell emerged as a surprising high performer, outranking both Sony and Adobe, and, alongside Audible, leads the category in indulgence (28).
Cracks in the Code
But cracks are emerging. For all their dominance, tech brands risk falling into incrementalism and fatigue. In fact, 41% of consumers say they feel overwhelmed by constant app and device updates. The strain is greatest among adults aged 18–40 (37%), who juggle an average of 26 household devices4. Apple slipped two places from last year, with consumers increasingly questioning whether it is trading breakthrough inspiration for safety and optimization. Health apps, incremental device updates, and shows like Severance and The Morning Show suggest that Apple is catering to midlife pragmatism more than sparking wonder.
The industry’s dependence on AI is both a blessing and a risk. Edelman’s 2025 AI Trust Barometer reports that only 33% of consumers globally trust AI-powered systems to act in their best interest, highlighting a trust gap. A recent MIT study, The GenAI Divide: The State of AI in Business 20256, revealed that most corporate AI investments have failed to deliver their promised ROI. Is this the next dot-com bubble in disguise? Musk and Zuckerberg have both publicly mocked Apple’s “innovation inertia” while betting their own empires on immersive experiences and AI integration.
Meanwhile, rumors swirl around Jony Ive’s work with OpenAI on a dedicated AI-native device, a potential disruptor that could reignite consumer awe.
The Scale Problem
Perhaps the greatest threat to intimacy is not technology itself but scale. Tech conglomerates are becoming so massive that they risk losing the human spark that intimacy requires.
- Alphabet: With Google (#8, BIQ 59.9), YouTube (#6, BIQ 60.5), and other sub-brands, it controls not only search but also discovery, advertising, and video culture.
- Meta: Facebook (#18, BIQ 46.1), Instagram (#26, BIQ 42.3), and WhatsApp (#46, BIQ 37.8) together connect nearly 3.5 billion people daily.
- Oracle: Larry Ellison, now the world’s richest man, is extending influence into media through Paramount and circling Warner Brothers.
These brands dominate our intimacy rankings. They dominate stock indices (tech now represents 29% of the S&P 500’s total weight). They dominate our daily lives. But can they still inspire awe?
Alphabet and its brands lead in the brand family rankings, as in our previous study. Alphabet also performs better than Meta across the archetypes of fulfillment and enhancement, while the two families score equally on ritual and indulgence. In contrast, Meta outperforms Alphabet in the identity and nostalgia archetypes: Its platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp are inherently tied to self-expression and personal connection, allowing users to define and share their digital identities. Facebook and Instagram also demonstrate strong performance in nostalgia, with many users associating them with formative social experiences and milestones. At a market level, Meta has continued to invest in community and social features, while Alphabet has concentrated on innovation in AI, advertising, and cloud services, reinforcing its dominance in fulfillment and enhancement.
The Stakes
This year’s Brand Intimacy Study raises an existential question: Can technology brands continue to deepen emotional connections when their products are no longer novelties but necessities?
The very ubiquity that cements their dominance may also dull their magic. AI’s omnipresence risks turning what was once wondrous into wallpaper. For emerging players, this paradox presents both a challenge and an opening. To compete with the fortresses of Apple, Microsoft, Google, Nvidia, and Meta, they must not only scale but also cultivate genuine intimacy with users.
Because in a world where everything is powered by algorithms, the brands that still spark joy and belonging will rise above the noise.
Get an overview of Brand Intimacy here.
Read our detailed methodology here. Our Amazon best-selling book is available at all your favorite booksellers. To learn more about how we help clients enhance their consumer bonds, visit mblm.com/services.
Sources
1CNBC. (2024, June 2). Nvidia dominates the AI chip market, but there’s rising competition. Retrieved from https://www.cnbc.com/2024/06/02/nvidia-dominates-the-ai-chip-market-but-theres-rising-competition-.html
2CNBC. (2024, October 31). Apple Services is $100 billion-per-year juggernaut, but growth slowing. Retrieved from https://www.cnbc.com/2024/10/31/apple-services-is-100-billion-per-year-juggernaut-but-growth-slowing.html
3StatCounter. (2025). Search engine market share worldwide. Retrieved from https://gs.statcounter.com/search-engine-market-share
4Deloitte. (2023, March 13). Connected consumers and digital fatigue. Deloitte Insights. Retrieved from https://www.deloitte.com/us/en/insights/industry/telecommunications/connectivity-mobile-trends-survey/2023/connected-consumers-digital-fatigue.html
5Edelman. (2025, January 23). 2025 Edelman Trust Barometer: Global Report. Edelman. Retrieved from https://www.edelman.com/sites/g/files/aatuss191/files/2025-01/2025%20Edelman%20Trust%20Barometer%20Global%20Report_01.23.25.pdf
6Challapally, A., Pease, C., Raskar, R., & Chari, P. (2025, July). The GenAI Divide: State of AI in Business 2025. MIT NANDA