Reader's Digest Interactive
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Australia's Most Trusted Brands 2008
How do we choose what to buy? As Reader's Digest’s annual poll reveals, low prices or fashion don’t always count.
Consumers can be fickle, but they’re not always driven by self-interest, as we discover in our Most Trusted Brands survey. The most important thing to a customer, it seems, is a brand being true to its promise.
Some brands consistently retain our confidence and trust by fulfilling their promises. But having consumers’ trust means meeting expectations, without fail.
"Companies need to be aware of what they're actually promising," explains Vanessa Hall, author of The Truth About Trust. "An experience? A taste? A flavour? They need to know what expectations they're creating and whether they’re delivering"
The brand doing this best in Australia, according to respondents, is Cadbury.
It helps that chocolate is one of our most-loved products; a reliably available instant mood lifter. So what does Cadbury have that other brands don't? The company has had a solid reputation during its 86 years in Australia, but there's more to it. According to social commentator Bernard Salt, it's not always rational - people are emotionally attached to trusted brands. "Curled upon a cold night with a glass of wine and a Cadbury chocolate, you feel great."
Apart from this emotional connection, trusted brands such as Toyota, Panadol, Bunnings Warehouse, Nokia and Sony promote feelings of value, market leadership, ease and quality.
ING Direct and Vodafone, operating in markets where customers are often hard to please, have shown that by working hard to meet customers’ expectations, trust can eventually be won.
"Financial security is critical with some brands - you are dealing with people’s life savings”, says Salt. “We feel protected by Trusted Brands. They have consistency and solidness. A brand’s longevity is important, too. That's why Qantas and Dairy Farmers rated well.
Winner - Automotive
People trust Toyota - That's why we are Australia's favourite car company!
"Our mission is to deliver outstanding automotive products and services to our customers while enriching our community, our partners and our environment. My vision is for Toyota Australia to become the most respected and admired company in Australia"
Max Yasuda President & CEO Toyota Australia
What Australians said about Toyota...
"Consistently produce top quality models in all categories" – Male 25-29 NSW
"Because their cars are always safe, reliable, economic" – Male 65+ NSW
"They back their product!" – Female 45-49, NSW
"Reliable and easy to get things fixed if something goes wrong" – Female 45-49, NSW
Winner - Banks 
ING DIRECT's vision:
To be the world's most preferred consumer bank.
"ING DIRECT is proud of it's simple and fair approach to banking. We are also about offering great interest rates and excellent customer service." - Eric Drok, Chief Executive Officer, ING DIRECT
What Australians said that liked about ING DIRECT..
" Good online ratings, sales people who really understand the details, what you see in the ad is really what you get, time and time again."- Female 35-39
"I have had nothing but positive relations with them and all my personal banking is handled by them."- Male 60-64
Winner - Electronics
Creating for imaginations. Sony gives dreams a place to evolve.
"Sony has a long history for developing innovative products of the highest quality, and Australian have continued to recognise this by putting their trust in us." Time Rich, Group Manager, Brand Marketing, Strategy and Brand Development
What Australians said that liked about SONY...
"Always high quality" - female, 35-39, NSW
"It's a big well-known company and I have only ha d good service from Sony" - Male, 65+, VIC
"Quality and good customer service" - Male, 18-24, NT
"Because they have been around for a long time" - Male, 25-29, SA
Winner - Whitegoods
Top performer – Mobile phones
LG innovation delivers tangible benefits and wins on trust.
"We passionately dedicate all our resources in providing timely and consistent innovations to keep the trust we have earned from our customers and to continue giving them full satisfaction"
The Promise: LG offers reliable products with stylish design and smart technology that enrich the lives of consumers
What Australians said they liked about LG...
"I have never had a problem with the products I have bought."
"Their products have always been reliable for me".
"They have given a flawless performance in every device I have purchased".
Winner - Food
Creating Brands People Love
"We are incredibly proud to have been voted the Most Trusted Brand for the fifth consecutive year. Cadbury continues to enjoy the trust of Australians through our ongoing dedication to delivering fun, quality brands that people love."
Mark Callaghan - Managing Director Confectionery
What Australians said they liked about Cadbury...
"I tend to trust Cadbury because it tends to mean chocolate something which cures most bad moods" - Male 35-39 nsw
"It's always delicious and feels special no matter how often I indugle in having some!" - Female 50-54 vic
Winner - Health & Wellbeing
When it comes to choosing a brand of pain reliever, you want to know you have made the right choice.
The Panadol name brings peace of mind. For over 50 years, the brand
has been a byword for reliable pain relief that can benefit essentially all the family from 1 month of age.
In a survey conducted by Reader's Digest, Panadol's position as the nation's preferred pain reliever has been reinforced: Australian's have voted it the second most trusted brand in Australia for 4 years in a row.
Panadol has been the leading over-the-counter analgesic in Australia for 20 years, and continues to be the highest-selling analgesic1. It contains paracetamol, long recognised as a dependable, effective pain reliever, and is suitable for a range of conditions including headache, backache, period pain, muscular aches and fever reduction.
Importantly, unlike some pain relievers, Panadol is less likely to upset your stomach. It is suitable for people with stomach ulcers or other stomach disorders; breastfeeding mothers; and asthmatics sensitive to aspirin and NSAIDs2.
Panadol is available in a range of formats to suit individual preference – tablets, caplets, gel caps, mini caps and soluble. The range also includes Panadol Rapid (absorbed twice as fast as regular Panadol tablets) and a range of Children's pain and fever relief products.
ALWAYS READ THE LABEL. Incorrect use could be harmful. Use only as directed. Consult your healthcare professional if symptoms persist. Panadol® is a registered trade mark of the GlaxoSmithKline group of companies. 1Aztec Grocery+Pharmacy scan data, MAT to Feb 08, Units (000s). 2Around 20% of asthmatics are sensitive to aspirin or NSAIDs. Less than 2% of asthmatics are sensitive to paracetamol and reactions tend to be less severe and of shorter duration. Panadol is suitable for many of these asthmatics.
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