Dubai: Most consumers always have a favourite label that they go to when they buy something, be it toothpaste, shampoo, phone, shoes or coffee. These are the brands people are most emotionally connected to and likely to recommend to others.
But some brands just happen to have a much deeper connection than others, and you could hear people say these are the names they can't live without. Among UAE residents, there are at least two that stand out.
According to MBLM, a brand intimacy agency, homegrown brand Emirates and American tech giant Apple are now the top two most-loved brands in the country.
The UAE-based carrier rose to second place overall this year, after making the Top 10 list for the first time in 2018 at number six. It is the only brand originating in the region to enter the Top 10.
About two in ten (21 per cent) of Emirates’ customers said they can’t live without the brand, according to the study.
“The Emirates brand is performing extremely well as it continues to exceed expectations, delivering superior service and quality among its key demographics,” said William Shintani, managing partner at MBLM.
Overall, Apple held the number one spot for another year, with 32 per cent of the respondents surveyed saying they cannot live without the brand.
MBLM ranked the labels based on the so-called “brand intimacy,” which refers to the emotional bond between a consumer and a brand.
Brands with a high “brand intimacy quotient” aren’t just popular, they tend to outperform their peers in terms of revenue and profit, as their fans are willing to open their wallets for their product.
MBLM’s Brand Intimacy 2019 study analyzed responses from 6,200 consumers in 56,000 brand evaluations across 15 industries in the United States, Mexico and the UAE.
10 brands with strongest emotional connections to UAE consumers:
1. Apple
2. Emirates
3. Ford
4. Mercedes-Benz
5. Audi
6. Microsoft
7. Nescafe
8. Lexus
9. BMW
10. YouTube
