Amazon ranked #1 for women in the U.S. in MBLM’s Brand Intimacy 2019 Study, which is the largest study of brands based on emotion.
Brand Intimacy is defined as the emotional science that measures the bonds we form with the brands we use and love. Disney and Apple rounded out the top three brands for women. The remaining brands to round out the top 10 were: Netflix, Chick-fil-A, Target, Costco, Chevrolet, Ford and BMW.
“More and more, marketers need to understand that the way women build bonds with brands varies greatly and that few universals apply to all women,” stated Rina Plapler, partner at MBLM. “However, from our research, we have found that women are more likely than men to form emotional connections with brands and that the archetypes of ritual and indulgence play an important role.”
Additional notable findings in the U.S. include:
Women ages 18-34 ranked Target first, while those between 35-64 years old chose Amazon
Those making between $35,000-$75,000 picked Amazon first, whereas study participants making over $75,000 selected Disney
Women formed more intimate bonds than men in apps & social platforms, consumer goods, fast food, health & hygiene, luxury, retail and travel
Women were more likely to say they could not live without intimate brands than men (16.3% vs. 14.4%)
In conjunction with the findings, MBLM released a piece examining the key takeaways across the U.S., Mexico and the UAE entitled, “Women and Brand Intimacy.” In it is analysis, MBLM revealed:
In Mexico, Mastercard ranked #1 and in the UAE, Chanel placed first for women
Apple was the only brand to be in the top 10 for women across all three research markets
Women in Mexico experienced intimacy at greater rates than women in the U.S. and the UAE. Approximately 40 percent of Mexican women surveyed felt an emotional connection to brands, compared to 32 percent in the UAE and only 23 percent in the U.S.
Women in Mexico had higher quotient rates than those of women in the U.S. and the UAE. This is a change from last year, when women in the UAE had the highest levels of emotional connection
This is the first year women in all three markets had a higher average quotient score than men, suggesting that women are connecting more strongly with brands, on average, compared to men
Like last year, in all three markets, indulgence (centered on moments of pampering and gratification) and ritual (being ingrained into daily actions, becoming a vital part of daily existence) are stronger among women than among men
Women have higher rates of bonding in all three markets compared to men. Bonding is the stage when an attachment is created and the relationship between a person and a brand becomes more significant and committed