We all have emotional connections to brands, whether we care to admit it or not.  If you always buy a certain brand of toothpaste, religiously order a call brand at a bar or ritualistically check the same app every day to get your sports scores, then you have an emotional connection of some depth.  And some brands are more intimate than others.

Think of folks who go to Starbucks every morning, only use Apple devices, drink Coke products exclusively, only drive Hondas, or who can’t imagine their lives without Amazon.  These represent some of the most intimate brands in America.  If you discuss this with Mario Natarelli of brand agency MBLM (“emblem,” get it?), he will tell you that such relationships are measurable, achievable, and produce quantifiable benefits for companies.

For the past five years, his company has been researching brand intimacy and sharing some of the results, typically with an annual listing of the most intimate brands.  I spoke with him about the most recent study and why this is important for marketers, business owners, and reputation managers alike.Read More