Mary Kay has been recognized by Brand Keys as a ‘brand that delights’ due to the company’s high level of customer engagement and satisfaction. Brand Keys, an independent research firm, has studied consumer behavior for the past 16 years and recently released its annual Customer Loyalty Index Survey, which examined customers’ relationships with 598 brands across 83 categories. Mary Kay tied for first as the top brand in the cosmetics category and was listed as one of the top 20 brands overall in the “Brands That Delight” category. This is the second year that Mary Kay was included on the “Brands That Delight” list. Brand Keys describes a delighting brand as one that excels at offering meaningful experiences with products and services at a higher level than its competitors.

According to Brand Keys, consumers demand more from a brand than satisfaction with a product’s performance. Consumers are also demanding quality experiences and authentic brand values. Satisfaction is now the cost of entry while delight is the new differentiator amongst the sea of competitors. The overwhelming majority of brands that were included in the “Brands That Delight” list are relatively newer brands that are technology based like Apple, Amazon, Google, Samsung and Facebook. Mary Kay, which will celebrate its 50th anniversary next year, isthe brand with the most longevity. For more information on the 2012 Customer Loyalty Index Survey, visit www.brandkeys.com

“Being recognized as a brand that delights by Brand Keys offers additional validation to Mary Kay’s steadfast commitment to offering a great opportunity for women, exceptional customer service and products that are simply irresistible,” said Sheryl Adkins-Green, Mary Kay Inc.’s chief marketing officer. “These three critical pillars influence all aspects of our business. We hope that anyone who interacts with the Mary Kay brand can say with confidence, I love Mary Kay.”