Apple has slipped behind Samsung in emotional brand connection rankings for the first time in 16 years, reflecting a surprising shake-up in consumer sentiment. The announcement comes from the latest annual study by MBLM, which surveys how deeply users identify with brands across factors like nostalgia, identity, indulgence, and overall intensity.
In this year’s evaluation, which covered 425 brands across 23 industries, Samsung reclaimed the top spot in the technology category—and placed third overall—while Apple slid to seventh overall and second among tech brands. It’s Apple’s first time falling below Samsung since the study’s inception. Apple’s brand intimacy score dropped from 63.7 in 2025 to 55.5 in 2026, a steep decline of more than eight points. Meanwhile, Samsung held steady at 59.9, with no meaningful change year over year.
What drove the drop
MBLM measures intimacy through multiple lenses: how prevalent the brand is in consumers’ lives, the character of those interactions, and the strength of emotional response. Apple’s plunge is particularly sharp across these metrics—the intensity of loyalty and emotional bond appear to have faltered. Samsung, by contrast, retained its standing without significant gains, suggesting less about its rise and more about Apple’s retreat.
It’s not just tech leaders that are feeling the strain. Across all sectors, brands are seeing lower scores generally—Disney remains #1 overall but has dropped six points from last year. Retailers like Costco, meanwhile, are becoming rare bright spots: its score jumped from 41.1 to 60.3, taking second place.
Backdrop: external pressures reshaping loyalty
The study points to macroeconomic pressures—rising inflation, stagnant wages and broad uncertainty—as key factors driving the decline in brand intimacy. As disposable incomes tighten, consumers gravitate toward brands that offer clear value or emotional reassurance.
Apple’s brand equity has long benefited from premium perception, design excellence, and loyalty. But this year’s results suggest that these strengths aren’t insulating it from shifting consumer priorities. Value-focused brands are gaining in emotional importance.
What this means: Apple and its rivals may face growing pressure to reimagine how they connect emotionally with customers, not just with product innovation, but with pricing, messaging, and perceived value. Watch how Apple responds—with services, experiences, or communication—to this unexpected challenge.
