A lasting relationship between a brand and its consumers is the dream of every brand owner. Likewise, consumers expect a more personal relationship where the brand is no longer seen as an object but has an emotional connection like that between people.

The intimacy between a brand and its consumers occurs in a series of purchase, usage, and loyalty bonds, which, in branding terminology, is called brand intimacy. Dimensions that often color brand intimacy include the quality of meeting consumer expectations and identity that can represent consumer aspirations. For example, Disneyland and Lego bring nostalgia to fragments of adult life about their childhood memories. 

According to research by MBLM, a brand consultant headquartered in New York, the intensity of brand intimacy with consumers is divided into three levels. First is sharing, which refers to when the brand engages and interacts with someone by sharing knowledge or insights about the brand. At this level, the brand provides quality assurance so that the interest is mutual. Second is bonding, which occurs when the closeness between someone and the brand becomes more significant and gives birth to commitment. At this level, acceptance occurs, and trust is born. And the third is fusion, which is realized when someone and the brand cannot be separated. At this level, the identity of someone and the brand merge into a form of shared expression. 

The needs of consumers for brands are not only about status or identity affiliated with a brand. Consumers who participate in a community have a variety of motivations. Some people want to contribute to doing good that has an impact through social organizations. Some are motivated because there are similarities in interests and skills channeled through a photographer community with a certain camera brand. 

Sometimes interest grows because of social links, they join communities to build new relationships, Facebook as one example. Like Starbucks rolling beyond the limits of a cup of coffee, its careful movement of utilizing social space ultimately impacts consumer loyalty and the classic story of Harley-Davidson as a community-based brand, carrying the brotherhood of riders united by a common ethos. 

In the era of digitization and social media, consumers are increasingly looking for brands that can provide them with a sense of community and belonging. Brands that can create a sense of intimacy with their consumers will be more likely to succeed in the future.