Colgate: Australia’s most trusted brand

Foods and humdrum domestic products dominate a list of the most trusted brands in Australia, according to research from Reader’s Digest.

Colgate is the country’s most trusted brand, followed by disinfectant brand Dettol. Cadbury is third, then Panadol and Band-Aid.

Nokia is the only technology brand to make the top ten.

By category, none of the big four banks appeared in the most trusted banks list. Bunnings was the most trusted retailer, Subway the most trusted fast food and Dyson the most trusted home appliance.

Last year, when a different survey company – The Digital Edge – was used, Band-Aid topped the survey, followed by Cadbury, Panadol, Sony and Colgate.

(October 22 2011 update: Concerns have been raised by the ABC’s Media Watch about the quality of research carried out by McCrindle research. However, Reader’s Digest states that the research carried out on its behalf was based on a thorough methodology.)

Australia’s most trusted brands according to the research:

1. Colgate
2. Dettol
3. Cadbury
4. Panadol
5. Band-Aid
6. Pine O Cleen
7. Nokia
8. Gillette
9. Dairy Farmers
10. Peters

The survey was conducted by McCrindle Research with a sample size of 1,200 Australians in January 2011.

The most trusted brands by category

Cars
Winner: Toyota
Highly commended: BMW, Holden

Banks
Winner:  Bendigo Bank
Highly commended: St George, ING

Mobile phones
Winner: Nokia
Highly commended: Apple iPhone, Sony

Retailers
Winner: Bunnings
Highly commended: Woolworths/Safeway, Target

Home entertainment
Winner: Sony
Highly commended: Panasonic, Apple

Beverages
Winner:  Milo
Highly commended: Dairy Farmers, Schweppes

Fast Food
Winner: Subway
Highly commended: Hungry Jack’s, McDonald’s

Breakfast food
Winner: Uncle Toby’s
Highly commended: Sanitarium, Kellogg’s

Confectionary
Winner: Cadbury
Highly commended: Natural Confectionery Co, Mars

Dairy
Winner: Dairy Farmers
Highly commended: Peters, Streets

Frozen Foods
Winner: Heinz
Highly commended: Bird’s Eye, Ingham

Skincare
Winner: Johnson & Johnson
Highly commended: Nivea, Olay

Shampoo and conditioner
Winner Johnson & Johnson
Highly commended: Dove, Sunsilk

Cleaning products
Winnter:  Pine O Clean
Highly commended: Vanish NapiSan, White King

White goods
Winner: Fisher & Paykel
Highly commended: Westinghouse, Miele

Insurance
Winner: NRMA
Highly commended: AAMI, Suncorp

Home appliances
Winner: Dyson
Highly commended: Breville, Sunbeam

‘Iconic brands’
Winner: Vegemite
Highly commended: Bunnings, Campbell Arnott’s

Robin Hicks

topics Reader's Digest

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Comments: 10

Cam 20 Jul 11

Is readers digest really a broad cross section of Australian demographics and opinions !?

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Keef 20 Jul 11

I never trust these surveys.

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Craig Seitam 20 Jul 11

Dettol … Australia’s second most trusted brand? Really?

Chiko rolls not in the top 10?

Wow, didn’t see that coming!

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nickatnights 20 Jul 11

Least trusted? Tiger Airways anoyone?

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Mog 20 Jul 11

These results seem to correlate closely with a stereotypical Readers Digest market.

So, the takeaway might be:
Readers Digest readers drive Camrys, like Bendigo Bank’s community profile, buy groceries from the eye-level shelves, and aspire towards a Dyson vacuum.

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nickatnights 20 Jul 11

But not for vacuuming.

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bralen chatfield 20 Jul 11

hi all-i aggree with mog comment-and to go on a bit-sounds like it was done in sydney with 20’s something demografic that watch a lot of commercial t.v.-i am nearly sixtie old and have worked out that most or all of what won here are crap now-they used to be good a long time ago-i supose thats the power of a good brain washing commercial /ad campain

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Craig Seitam 20 Jul 11

@Mog, no, not the vacuum, I think everyone wants one of those ring shaped fans that look incredibly cool (no pun intended) but nobody ever seems to buy.

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chris 22 Jul 11

In the frozen food I was not aware that heinz sold frozen food I have always thought of them as tin food (baked beans)

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sven 25 Jul 11

1200 seems way too small a sample size

McCrindle has had a big PR push of late – keen to be the new Roy Morgan, Saulwick etc, so i would be highly sceptical of the quality of any of their ‘findings’ that you see publicised anywhere at the moment

they are more likely to be flimsy PR surveys used to facilitate profile raising via the free media rather than reliable consumer insights

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