The auto industry no longer is the king of brand intimacy.
In MBLM’s “Brand Intimacy 2018 Report,” the auto industry ranks second behind media and entertainment, “highlighting the trend toward escapism, relaxation and distraction,” according to MBLM.
MBLM, a New York City-based marketing agency, defines brand intimacy as “the emotional bonds between a person and a brand.”
Within the auto industry, BMW ranked first, followed by the Jeep brand and Toyota.
The Top 10 in the automotive industry was rounded out by Honda, Harley-Davidson, Chevrolet, Ford, Mercedes, Chrysler and GMC.
“While slipping slightly, the automotive industry still performed strongly due to the bonds it creates with consumers,” said Mario Natarelli, managing partner, MBLM. “The Jeep brand has risen in our 2018 Brand Intimacy Report. We just released an analysis of Jeep and found that its recent marketing efforts have been focusing on powerful emotional themes at the core of its brand, leveraging nostalgia well and utilizing today’s marketing channels to build dialogue and strong bonds.”
Other notable automotive findings in MBLM’s Brand Intimacy 2018 Report include:
- The Jeep brand ranked first among women.
- BMW ranked first among men.
- The industry had a Brand Intimacy Quotient score of 44.9, which is higher than the average of 27.1.
- Two automotive brands were in the top 10 overall; BMW ranked third and the Jeep brand ranked fourth.
- Harley-Davidson made the biggest drop, falling from the fourth overall brand in 2017 to 18th and from first in the automotive industry to fifth in 2018.
- The Jeep brand moved up from 15th overall in 2017 to fourth in 2018.
“We are very pleased with the Jeep brand’s improved performance in the 2018 Brand Intimacy Study,” said Olivier Francois, chief marketing officer for Fiat Chrysler U.S. “I am most proud of what we were able to do on behalf of all of our brands last year. We continued to focus on our brands’ unique identities, what differentiates them from other brands. Storytelling is a critical part of marketing and being successful hinges on the ability to make it resonate emotionally outside the walls of your company.”
This year’s report analyzes the responses of 6,000 consumers and 54,000 brand evaluations across 15 industries in the United States, Mexico and the 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.
