Brand intimacy is defined as:
“leveraging and strengthening the emotional bond between a person and a brand”
Apple, Disney and You Tube were voted the Top 3 most “intimate” companies by Millennials.
This metric is crucial because branding is about how you make a customer feel. Not to be mistaken by what a company defines its brand as.
In a customer-centric economy the feedback your customers provide shapes your brand. Apple, Disney and You Tube have done the best job in terms of making Millennials feel good about their purchase.
But what these three companies offer is much deeper than financial satisfaction, they provide an excellent experience.
If branding is rooted in how you feel, transactions aren’t good enough. The way someone interacts and associates with your product/service determines whether they’ll become a returning customer or not.
Relevant brands focus on empathy. They try to relate to the customers desires. It’s much more than value, packaging and delivery.
Another note is Apple, Disney and You Tube are not trendy. They’ve established their identity over time and have a strong fanbase that thrives even amidst a recession.
No company is fool proof or indestructible, but in a world that bombards people with marketing the only way to survive is through referrals and devoted brand ambassadors.
Brand intimacy is the new customer loyalty and Millennials are leading the way with “all the feels.”
Growing Forward 