Some brands have loyal customers. Others have those who claim their lives would be over if they had to live without them. In the 2020 edition of the Brand Intimacy Study by marketing agency MBLM, Google was the company which had most U.S. users convinced their products were essential for survival. 41 percent of Google users said they couldn’t live without the company’s products. Apple, Amazon and Chevrolet were the runner-ups.
Youtube became even more essential in the eyes of its users, climbing from rank 10 to rank 6. Notably absent from the top ten was Coca-Cola, down from rank 4 in 2019 to rank 17 in 2020.
Among the twelve most revered companies in the 400-brand ranking were an equal amount of service providers, mainly internet and software companies, and manufacturers. While Americans felt most attached to U.S. companies, German car maker Mercedes-Benz and Swedish streaming service Spotify also made the cut.
Claims that these brands are of vital importance should obviously not be taken at face value - with one exception: Walmart. The food retailer is the only source of fresh fruit and vegetables in some communities in the United States.
