Australia's Most Trusted Brands 2009

How do we choose what to buy?

Stay free from scandal, be reliable, safe, and deliver on promises - that's the message Australians are delivering to companies who want their brands at the top of the Most Trusted list.

It's official - Cadbury, Panadol and Band-Aid take out the first three spots in our annual Most Trusted list of 158 well-known brands, joined in the top ten by Sony, Colgate, Dairy Farmers, Nokia, Johnson & Johnson, Streets, Peters and Bunnings.

What do these brands have in common? They're all well known, respected, and free from scandal and negative press.

Trust by association is a powerful marketing tool. Use it well, and brand reputation and trust can increase; choose poorly, and brands can pay a price. Social commentator Bernard Salt says of Cadbury, whose consistent quality has kept it a steady number one: "They've kept a high public profile standard, and been careful with advertising and promotions.

winner

It comes as no surprise: Australia's Most Trusted Brand for the sixth consecutive year is Cadbury.

Managing director Mark Callaghan reports some exciting developments. "We are investing many millions of dollars in revamping the production facilities at our Australian factories to create chocolate-making ‘centres of excellence', and we are developing new and exciting products with the Cadbury quality that consumers rely on.

"Thank you Australia for once again voting Cadbury the country's Most Trusted brand. We look forward to continuing to deliver the exciting quality products that Australians love."

What Australians said they liked about Cadbury...

"Can always trust Cadbury chocolate to be good" - Female 40-44 VIC
"Cadbury – this brand is always perfect" - Male 55-59 VIC
"Their chocolate always tastes the best" - Male 65+ WA
"A brand, we, as Australians, have become to know and trust for decades" - Female 45-49 NSW

www.cadbury.com.au

Buying a new car can be a complex decision; psychologists of course say your choice of car says something about you

But whether the motivation is style, image, performance, comfort, economy, price, even colour, there's one quality Australians trust Toyota to deliver above all other makes: start- every-time, run-forever, solid-as-a-rock reliability

What Australians said about Toyota...

"Because their product and aftercare service is spot on" - Male 55-59 WA
"They build quality products" - Male 45-49 SA
"Toyota consistently manufactures extremely reliable, well-designed vehicles with excellent sales and service facilities" - Male 65+ SA
"They make well made, long-lasting fuel efficient cars that look great" - Female 55-59 NSW
"Reliability and quality at a reasonable price" - Female 40-44 NSW

www.toyota.com.au

You'll find Arnott's biscuits in over 90% of Australian households.

Tim Tam, Shapes, Milk Arrowroot, SAo, Vita-weat, iced VoVo – we love 'em! whenever a pack is opened we know they will taste as good as ever.

For millions of Australians who have grown up with Arnott's over the past 143 years this is more than a food company; Arnott's is a national icon and a piece of our history. The distinctive parrot logo, the timeless There is no substitute for quality slogan, even the shiny red Arnott's delivery trucks, all go towards creating an image of fond familiarity and of trust. in fact Australians have voted Arnott's as the brand that best symbolises Australia.

What Australians said they liked about Arnott's...

"Best quality and price" - Female 30-34 NSW
"Arnott’s has been around for 100 years" - Female 60-64 NSW
"Definitely the best tasting biscuits around" - Male 50-54 SA

www.arnotts.com

By providing natural health solutions that really work, Blackmores improve people's lives.

"Blackmores has long held the belief that trust has to be earned and is not a given. We are proud to be recognised as [Australia's] most trusted vitamins brand and will work to ensure that our customers' trust is well placed."

MArcus C. Blackmore AM, Chairman, Blackmores LTD

What Australians said they liked about Blackmores...

"I like Blackmores. I find it is better for me as it gives me more relief in my joints than some of the other brands" - Female 60-65 NSW
"They give plenty of information about their products on their website and also offer free advice from a naturopath" -Female 65+ NSW
"I trust Blackmores vitamins and supplements because they give me all the essential vitamins that I need in one capsule only. They taste good and are priced at a reasonable and affordable price" -Female 45-54 NSW

www.naturopath.blackmores.com.au

top performer

Delivering great tasting milk for over 100 years.

We all love dairy Farmers milk, it's part of our great Australian heritage. For more than 100 years, dairy Farmers has been dedicated to producing Australia's best tasting milk. That's why dairy Farmers is proud to have recently been named one of Australia's most trusted brands. dairy Farmers' milk tastes great and is good for us. it's 100% Australian-made, by Australian cows, on Australian farms, and that is quality all Australians can trust.

What Australians said they liked about Dairy Farmers...

"I always trust their milk!" - Male 40-44 QLD
"I trust Dairy Farmers as a brand because they represent the grass roots workers on the land" - Female 40-44 VIC
"The taste is always the best and it's Australian - very important to me" - Female 25-29 QLD

www.dairyfarmers.com.au

Colgate Trusted Oral Care products are keeping Australian smiles bright and healthy.

Colgate products are well- recognlsed in over 200 countries worldwide. in the Australian reader's digest 2009 Trusted brands Survey, Colgate was recognised as one of the most trusted brands, rating highly on product quality, reputation, customer care and value. This is not only a measure of positive consumer sentiment but a direct outcome of our proud history of support for the oral health profession in Australia. Through our extensive range of clinically proven products as well as ongoing research and development, we hope to assist the dental profession to push the boundaries of oral health management to new standards.

What Australians said they liked about Colgate...

"They are dependable and have a commitment to producing quality products" - Female 55-59 VIC

www.colgate.com.au

other category winners

Overall Winner

Cadbury

Electronics

Winner - Sony
Top Performers - Panasonic, Canon

Health & Wellbeing

Winner - Panadol
Top Performers - Band-Aid, Colgate

Whitegoods

Winner - Westinghouse
Top Performers - Fisher & Paykel, LG

Retailers

Winner - Bunnings
Top Performers - Target, Big W

Mobile Phones

Winner - Nokia
Top Performers - LG, Samsung

Cosmetic and Skincare

Winner - Dove
Top Performers - Nivea, Rexona

Computers

Winner - Hewlett-Packard
Top Performers - Apple, Toshiba

Kitchen Brands

Winner - Glad
Top Performers - Chux, Scotch-Brite

Travel/Airlines

Winner - Qantas
Top Performers - Virgin Blue, Singapore Airlines

Pet Food

Winner - Whiskas
Top Performers - Pedigree, Purina

Credit Cards

Winner - Visa
Top Performers - Mastercard, American Express

Banks

Winner - Bendigo Bank
Top Performers - ING, St George

Telecoms

Winner - Vodafone
Top Performers - Optus, Virgin Mobile

Australian Iconic Brands

Winner - Arnott's
Top Performers - Australia Post, Qantas

Vitamins and Supplements

Winner - Blackmores
Top Performers - Nature's Own, Nature's Way

Food

Winner - Cadbury
Top Performers - Dairy Farmers, Streets

Cars

Winner - Toyota
Top Performers - Mercedes-Benz, BMW

Should Everyone Read This? Yes! I vote for this story

Most Trusted Brands 2008
Most Trusted Brand Category Winners 2008
Consumers can be fickle – supposedly driven by self-interest in a marketplace bursting with contingencies and fads. But not always, as we discover in our annual Reader’s Digest Most Trusted Brands poll. The most important thing to a customer, it seems, is a brand being true to its promise.
Most Trusted People & Professions 2009
When times are tough, people everywhere look for security and certainty, and Australians are no different. In our fifth annual Most Trusted poll the results are striking: when it comes to trustworthy people, it's the "rocks of society" - the humble, honest and truly helpful - who we consistently turn to.