• by Tanya Gazdik , June 14, 2017

Disney Parks and Universal Theme Parks rank first and second in the hospitality and theme parks industry, according to the MBLM Brand Intimacy 2017 Report, a study of brands based on emotions.

Brand Intimacy is defined as a new paradigm that quantifies the emotional bonds people have for brands they use.

The remaining brands in the top 10 for the category are Four Seasons, Days Inn, Sheraton, The Ritz-Carlton, Holiday Inn and Hyatt.

Theme parks are interesting examples of manifesting brand intimacy, says Mario Natarelli, managing partner at MBLM.

“They master the customer journey, creating distinct and varied experiences and provide indulgence and entertainment, two things that strongly align with consumer needs now,” Natarelli says in a release. “Theme parks have created well-curated, one-of-a-kind brand experiences that resonate with people.”

Disney Parks and Universal Theme Parks also stand out from the rest in the industry in terms of percentage of consumers willing to pay 20% extra. This was roughly double the industry average.

One of the overarching findings of the report was that consumers, particularly Millennials, are seeking an escape from the real world in the form of media and entertainment, and theme parks are delivering on those requests. Women and Millennials favor Disney Theme Parks.

Theme parks utilize sophisticated technology and advancements in robotics, and virtual reality make the parks exciting and realistic, while the IoT-enabled wristbands, like Disney’s MagicBands, and smart applications will make the parks interactive, tailoring experiences to each consumer by storing and sharing relevant data, according to the report. 

The strength of nostalgia and indulgence delivered by theme parks is the key difference on how theme parks build intimacy, according to MBLM. Theme park brands know that you don’t make memorable experiences by delivering quality products and services, but by creating moments of gratification and feelings of nostalgia

The report analyzed the responses of 6,000 consumers and 54,000 brand evaluations across 15 industries in the U.S., Mexico and UAE.