The appliances industry ranked 13thout of the 15 industries studied in the latest Brand Intimacy 2019 Study,the largest study of brands based on emotion, from marketing intimacy agency MBLM.
Whirlpool topped the industry, followed by KitchenAid. Samsung Appliances fell to third after ranking first in MBLM’s 2018 study. The remaining brands in the top 10 were: LG, GE Appliances, Bosch, Dyson, Maytag, Black + Decker and Sub Zero.
“The appliances industry climbed one spot from our 2018 study but continues to struggle to connect to customers emotionally,” said Mario Natarelli, managing partner at MBLM, in a news release. “Appliance brands are not able to leverage their form factor like hardware manufacturing brands in the technology and gaming space, nor do have the same emotional connection as other big ticket brands like those in automotive. However, we think they have similar opportunities to build greater bonds with their users.”
Other significant appliances industry findings from MBLM’s study include:
- Appliances had an average Brand Intimacy Quotient of 19.0, which was well below the cross-industry average of 31.0
- Enhancement, the archetype associated with becoming better through use of the brand, was the most prominent in the category, and KitchenAid was the top appliance brand for enhancement
- Whirlpool ranked #1 and led among users over 35, whereas millennials preferred KitchenAid
- Whirlpool was also the top brand for men, and Dyson led among women
- KitchenAid was the top brand among users with incomes both under and over $100,000
- Whirlpool and Bosch improved their standings in the industry since last year, while Samsung Appliances and Dyson slid in the rankings
- 11 percent of the industry’s customers are in one of the three stage of intimacy: sharing, bonding and fusing
MBLM also released an article examining Whirlpool, entitled, “Whirlpool: Leading the Pack.” While the brand did well in the industry, it ranked 106th in the overall study. It rose from #7 in the appliances industry in 2018 to the top brand in the industry this year. Its Brand Intimacy Quotient more than doubled, and it had the #1 brand in the category for the archetypes of fulfillment, ritual and nostalgia. Demographically, the brand generally performed better with male, lower-income, and younger audiences, which clearly signals an area for improvement.
View appliances industry findings here.
Access an on-demand MBLM webinar discussing the industry here.
Download the full Brand Intimacy 2019 Studyhere.
During 2018, MBLM with Praxis Research Partners conducted an online quantitative survey among 6,200 consumers in the U.S. (3,000), Mexico (2,000), and the United Arab Emirates (1,200). Participants were respondents who were screened for age (18 to 64 years of age) and annual household income ($35,000 or more) in the U.S. and socioeconomic levels in Mexico and the UAE (A, B and C socioeconomic levels).
