Ford Ranks Fourth in 2020 Brand Intimacy Study
Photo: Ford
Ford Motor Company was the No. 1 ranked automaker overall in the 2020 Brand Intimacy Study, which looks at the emotional connections that consumers have with the brands they patronize. The Blue Oval placed fourth overall among brands, ranking just behind Amazon, Disney, and Apple and replacing Chevrolet as the top brand in automotive.
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The U.S. Brand Intimacy Study, now in its 10th year, puts forth the idea that the feeling of intimacy with a brand drives considerable revenue and profit growth. According to MBLM’s Brand Intimacy Model, a user forges a strong emotional connection with a brand relative to six unique archetypes and three stages. This forges a Brand Intimacy Quotient — a score from 1-100 that is based on the prevalence, intensity, and character of customer intimacy with brands.
Not only did Ford score well with a Brand Intimacy Quotient of 64.9 — nearly five points better than Jeep, the fifth-place brand — but it saw year-over-year increases in all six archetypes of connection: fulfillment, identity, enhancement, ritual, nostalgia, and indulgence. The study also showed that 22 percent of Ford customers say they can’t live without the brand, which is more than the 19 percent who say they can’t live without Netflix.
Ford scores with males, younger drivers
Showing the brand’s further connection with younger drivers and new customers, 61.6 percent of respondents have been Ford customers for under 10 years. On a related note, Ford was the top-ranked auto brand for the coveted 18-34 demographic, placing fifth overall. Notably, Ford was also the top brand overall with male customers, outranking Amazon, Apple, PlayStation, and Xbox.
According to the 2020 Brand Intimacy Study, the automotive industry had the second-highest intimacy score overall at 46.2 percent of customers, just 0.5 percentage points behind media and entertainment. A total of four auto brands were in the top 10 for 2020, including Jeep (No. 5), BMW (No. 7), and Chevrolet (No.8). Ford being atop that list reaffirms its status as an American icon in the hearts and minds of drivers young and old.
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Kyle S. Johnson lives in Cincinnati, a city known by many as “the Cincinnati of Southwest Ohio.” He enjoys professional wrestling, Halloween, and also other things. He has been writing for a while, and he plans to continue to write well into the future. See more articles by Kyle.