Apple lost considerable ground with consumers in 2026, with its brand intimacy score falling sharply while Samsung treads water. The reasons why are complicated.
MBLM has released its annual study of brand intimacy, evaluating how attached consumers are to specific companies. This year's study comprised 425 brands across 23 industries.
2026 marks a first for Apple, though probably not in a way the company would like. For the first time in sixteen years of brand engagement analysis, Apple has fallen below Samsung in the rankings.
Apple is now ranked seventh overall and second in the technology category. Samsung ranks third overall, and first in technology.
Apple now lands four points behind Samsung | Image credit: MBLM
MBLM measures "brand intimacy" by examining users' emotional connections to a brand, including the characteristics of their bond across categories such as nostalgia, indulgence, and identity. It also measures the intensity of a user's connection with the brand.
Apple's fall between 2025 and 2026 is particularly egregious. In 2025, it scored a 63.7 quotient score, which MBLM says is based on prevalence, intensity, and character.
This year it's essentially free-fallen to 55.5. And that's down
It is critical to note that this does not mean that people are suddenly loyal to Samsung. Samsung hasn't become a widely loved brand.
Samsung has held steady; in 2025, it scored 59.9. One year later, the score remains the same.
And it's not just smartphones. According to the study, the highest ranked brand, Disney, has dropped six points year-over-year.
Disney, who takes 2026's top spot, has also seen its score drop in the past year. | Image credit: MBLM
Of course, when you pull back and look at the larger picture, it's not much of a stretch, either. Prices across many of these brands have gone up, while young American's happiness has essentially fallen off a cliff, according to multiple studies, including those seen by CNBC.
MBLM underscores this point. In its study, it points to inflation, stagnant wages, and uncertainty as driving factors behind this year's overall scoring.
Of course, that's also why companies like Costco, which ranked at #2 overall and first in the retail industry, have seen a massive jump. Costco's 2025 score was a middling 41.1, while in 2026 it peaked at a respectable 60.3.
