It's not unique to Apple. Nike, Porsche, Mercedes, BMW, Yankees, and many others do the same thing. It's known as cult branding. There's a good book on it called" The Power of Cult Branding" by Mathew Ragas.
There are others--Leica cameras, Rolex, Starbucks, Linux, Vans, Star Trek/Wars.
I don't think it's something you set out to attain, look at the airline Song for an example of how this backfires. I think being a cult brand is a status you attain after reaping several generations of loyal customers.
The study itself does not surprise me the least. It's no wonder we describe such close-minded people zealots and fanatics, both terms having a religious history.