Research gives insight into consumers’ emotional bonds with brands

Customer Thermometer’s survey of 1,000 U.S. consumers found that 64% of women and 68% of men have felt an emotional connection with a brand or business and that the vast majority (91%) of those connections were positive. The most common emotion felt by consumers towards a brand is interest (70%), but more than half (57%) of the survey’s respondents said they felt trust.

The brand category most likely to inspire such a connection in men is electronics (33%) and among women it is the fashion category (12%).

However, the consumers surveyed by Customer Thermometer ranked the importance of an emotional connection relatively low – 4.2 out of 10. According to Customer Thermometer, “while most customers don’t necessarily perceive a need for it, it pays to develop that emotional bond. It’s most likely not going to be an expressed need from your customers, but rather an ability to unlock a feeling inside them where you’ll establish these connections”.

Additional findings from the survey include:

– “Like they care about me” was cited by 65% of respondents as being a reason for their emotional brand connections;

– 65% had been disappointed by a brand’s political stance and 62% had boycotted a brand that had politically offended them;

– Apple, Nike and Nintendo are the top 3 brands in terms of brand affinity.