• by Tanya Gazdik , October 8, 2015

Apple took first place in the U.S., Mexico and the UAE among “intimate” brands, according to MBLM’s “Brand Intimacy 2015 Report.”

BMW and Toyota placed second and third, and the top 10 is rounded out by Amazon, Harley-Davidson (the top brand among men), Disney, Coca-Cola, Whole Foods, GMC and Samsung.

This year’s findings confirm that the way to think about, build and measure brands can lead to untapped business potential, says Mario Natarelli, MBLM’s managing partner.

Intimate brands outperformed major financial indices in profit growth and revenue growth over the past 10 years. From 2005 to 2014, intimate brands enjoy an average of 5% more revenue growth and 11% profit growth over the S&P 500, according to MBLM.

That translates to an average of $33 billion per year in average revenue for the top brands and more than $9 billion in average annual profit. Brand Intimacy delivers comparable performance to the Fortune 500 as well.

Examining this performance a little deeper, brands that achieve the highest levels of intimacy also enjoy greater price resilience. Consumers of these brands are five times more willing to pay 20% more, according to the report.

The automotive industry is the strongest performing of the nine industries analyzed in the U.S., Mexico and the UAE. Toyota ranked highest for fulfillment, which centers on exceeding expectations and performance, while Mercedes Benz is the top brand related to the identity archetype, meaning it reflects an aspirational image or admired values. Startup Uber ranked 14^th among automotive brands

In the U.S., retail came in second and health and beauty came in third; travel and leisure is the poorest performing category.

Consumers under age 35 tend to have emotional relationships with technology, entertainment and retail brands, while those over 35 have stronger connections with consumer packaged goods.

Lego ranked highest for its associations with nostalgia while Google ranked #1 for enhancement, enabling improvement through use of the brand. Google also ranked 16^th overall. Ben and Jerry’s was seen as strongest on indulgence.

During the spring of 2015, Praxis Research partners conducted an online quantitative survey of 6,000 consumers and 52,000 brand evaluations across nine industries in the U.S., Mexico and UAE. MBLM’s reports and interactive Brand Ranking Tool showcase the performance of almost 400 brands, revealing the characteristics and intensity of the consumer bonds.