Material Introduces its Inaugural Fidelity Index, Ranking 165 Consumer Brands on Strength of Customer Relationships

-Material Fidelity^™ Index leverages relationship science and identity research to gauge how brands can cultivate deeper customer relationships-

LOS ANGELES, Dec. 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Material, a digital experience transformation company helping companies revolutionize their customer relationships, today announced the launch of its inaugural Material Fidelity Index, which ranks 165 consumer brands by measuring each brands depth of customer-centricity. This year's identified top 10 brands are USAA, Lego, Subaru, PlayStation, Toyota, Always, Samsung, Google Maps, Nintendo and Apple Pay.

Developed to help companies better understand the metrics that matter, the Material Fidelity Index uncovers a distinct set of drivers, from user-friendliness to inclusiveness, to measure the strength of a brand's customer relationship, or "fidelity."

"Today's most successful companies understand the criticality of tenacious commitment to customer-centricity," said Caroline Kennedy, Chief Design and Brand Officer. "The Material Fidelity Index is a powerful, valuable tool giving business leaders insight about the highest value strike points for customer experience transformation. Identifying root issues and breakthrough opportunities for growth, equips brand, product and enterprise leaders with the power to create loyal, durable relationships built at the intersection of brand and experience - or put another way, at that pivotal, high-value juncture between affinity and utility."

Developed by Material's Behavioral Science and Customer Experience (CX) experts, the index centers around relationship science and identity research, which are proven to better predict loyalty, advocacy and company growth compared to traditional brand and CX metrics like Customer Satisfaction (CSAT) and Net Promoter Score (NPS). Unique differentiators used for the Material Fidelity Index, not found in other brand index rankings, include:

• A combination of both the rational and emotional drivers of relationships.
• Research techniques grounded in behavioral science that unlock key insights into consumer habits and preferences.
• Third-party data validation to demonstrate value in driving superior business outcomes.

A higher score across driver categories translates to higher fidelity between a brand and its consumer, leading to greater engagement, lifetime loyalty and ROI. On average, financial performance for high fidelity brands is 3.5 times greater than low fidelity brands, and people are two times more likely to buy, advocate for and be loyal to high fidelity brands.

The Material Fidelity Index is based on research encompassing a survey of more than 24,000 U.S. consumers, ages 18-65, selected from the most recent census representation. These consumers were then surveyed across 14 drivers to get to a ranking of 165 brands from the highest to the lowest fidelity. The index also measures how a product performs, the consumer's experience with the brand, and how the brand aligns with a consumer's worldview. The brands selected for the Material Fidelity Index were chosen from among the most recognized brands in the U.S., and represent a range of industries, including retail, finance, technology, hospitality, food and beverage, beauty, and fashion, among others.

For more information on Material's Fidelity Index and to review the full report, click here.

Material is a global strategy, insights, design, and technology partner to brands and companies striving for true customer-centricity and ongoing relevance in a digital-first, customer-led world. By leveraging proprietary, science-based tools that enable human understanding, Material informs and creates customer-centric business models and experiences, and deploys measurement systems to build transformational relationships between businesses and the people they serve. Learn more at www.materialplus.io.

SOURCE Material