Technology & Telecommunications Ranked Third in MBLM’s Brand Intimacy 2020 Study; Industry Has Become Increasingly Important During COVID-19 Pandemic

The technology & telecommunications industry ranked third in MBLM’s Brand Intimacy 2020 Study, which is the largest study of brands based on emotions. The industry, which has historically performed well in the study, has also become increasingly important in the daily lives of people across the country during the COVID-19 pandemic. MBLM (pronounced Emblem), the agency using emotional science to build more intimate brands during these unprecedented times, is examining how brands in the technology & telecommunications industry are making a difference in the fight against COVID-19 and in the lives of consumers and how the Brand Intimacy profile of the industry may be strengthening. Brand Intimacy is defined as the emotional science that measures the bonds we form with the brands we use and love, and is more relevant than ever as brands must alter their roles and relevance during today’s challenging times.

MBLM’s study, now in its 10th year, revealed that Apple ranked #1 in the technology & telecommunications industry followed by Samsung and Google. The remaining brands in the top 10 for the industry were: Microsoft, AT&T, Verizon, Dell, LG, HP and Intel. Top intimate brands in the U.S. continued to significantly outperform the top brands in the Fortune 500 and S&P indices in both revenue and profit over the past 10 years, according to the study.

The technology & telecommunications industry has become increasingly crucial during the pandemic. Brands have helped people stay connected, access information and work remotely and are also a source of entertainment. Some are also offering their assistance to help combat COVID-19. For example, Apple and Google partnered on an exposure notification API, which has been released to select developers who will use the API for contact tracing. A full release of this API is anticipated in mid-May.¹ As part of the CoVIg-19 Plasma Alliance, Microsoft introduced a CoVIg-19 Plasma Bot to help people determine if they are eligible to donate their plasma.² Samsung is providing smartphone repair services free of charge to first responders and healthcare workers.³ AT&T and Verizon will not suspend service or charge late fees for their customers through June 30th.⁴

“Technology brands in a pandemic have become a significant and essential service in small and profound ways. Which brands rise to that challenge and position their brands for the moment will garner the greatest long-term rewards,” stated Mario Natarelli, managing partner, MBLM.

Additional noteworthy technology & telecommunications industry findings in the U.S. include:

• The industry has an average Brand Intimacy Quotient of 42.9, which is above the cross-industry average of 31
• Both men and women ranked Apple as their favorite intimate brand
• Similarly, Apple led among multiple consumer age groups, with both millennials and those over 35 years old choosing it as their most intimate technology & telecommunications brand
• Apple also ranked #1 in the industry among consumers with incomes both over and under $100,000
• Enhancement, which is the archetype associated with becoming better through use of the brand, was the most prominent in the category, and here too, Apple was the top brand for enhancement

MBLM also analyzed the industry in an article entitled, “Technology Brands and COVID-19: Seizing the Moment.” The piece looks at the industry findings of the study and also examines the role technology brands play during the pandemic. MBLM discusses how brands’ cash reserves and services are making significant impacts, and the role connectivity, services and devices are playing to help keep our kids learning, uniting our loved ones and keeping us informed and entertained.

The Brand Intimacy 2020 Report contains the most comprehensive rankings of brands based on emotion, analyzing the responses of 6,200 consumers and 56,000 brand evaluations across 15 industries in the U.S., Mexico and UAE. MBLM’s reports and rankings tool showcase the performance of almost 400 brands, revealing the characteristics and intensity of the consumer bonds.

To view the technology & telecommunications industry findings, please click here. To download the full Brand Intimacy 2020 Study or explore the Rankings click here.

Methodology

During 2019, MBLM with Praxis Research Partners conducted an online quantitative survey among 6,200 consumers in the U.S. (3,000), Mexico (2,000), and the United Arab Emirates (1,200). Participants were respondents who were screened for age (18 to 64 years of age) and annual household income ($35,000 or more) in the U.S. and socioeconomic levels in Mexico and the UAE (A, B and C socioeconomic levels). Quotas were established to ensure that the sample mirrored census data for age, gender, income/socioeconomic level, and region. The survey was designed primarily to understand the extent to which consumers have relationships with brands and the strength of those relationships from fairly detached to highly intimate. It is important to note that this research provides more than a mere ranking of brand performance and was specifically designed to provide prescriptive guidance to marketers. We modeled data from over 6,200 interviews and approximately 56,000 brand evaluations to quantify the mechanisms that drive intimacy. Through factor analysis, structural equation modeling, and other sophisticated analytic techniques, the research allows marketers to better understand which levers need to be pulled to build intimacy between their brand and consumers. Thus, marketers will understand not only where their brand falls in the hierarchy of performance but also how to strengthen performance in the future.

To read a more detailed description of MBLM’s approach, visit its Methodology page.

1. Apple and Google release first seed of COVID-19 exposure notification API for contact tracing app developers
2. Helping survivors become heroes
3. Caring for Those Who Care For Us
4. AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile, Comcast extend vow to not cut off service amid COVID-19 crisis