For years we’ve written how emotional engagement and loyalty metrics were “leading indicators,” that is to say, they were measurable factors that change before the economy starts to follow a particular pattern or trend. To be more precise, emotional engagement and loyalty metrics are leading indicators of consumer behavior rather than economic indicators – indicating the pattern of how consumers will behave toward a brand – positively or negatively – 12 to 18 months down the road. Best example to date, and no surprise to us, Apple took the lead in the 4th Quarter as the #1 smartphone seller in the world.