Reader’s Digest announced the results of the Reader’s Digest Trusted Brand Survey, which makes its debut in the U.S. in the October issue, on newsstands Sept. 15th. More than 4,500 Americans across the nation took part in the online survey, which awarded the “Reader’s Digest Most Trusted Brand” title to winners in 40 product categories, including auto insurance, hair color, vitamin supplement, laundry detergent, coffee retailer, cold cereal, pet food and bottled water.
“Trust has always been an integral component of the fabric that makes up Reader’s Digest,” said Liz Vaccariello, chief content officer and editor-in-chief. “This survey allows us to help shed light on why Americans gravitate toward certain brands.”
The survey revealed that trust plays a major role in consumer decision making, with 79 percent of survey participants reporting that they would choose a brand that has been identified as “trusted” over another brand when product quality and price are similar. In addition, according to the study, 75 percent of U.S. adults surveyed agree it’s important to trust the companies they support. Eight in ten (82 percent) report that they trust a company that will stand behind their products, and more than 40 percent said the Reader’s Digest Most Trusted Brands seal would likely have an effect on their trust or decision to purchase a product or service.
The Reader’s Digest Most Trusted Brands are:
- Airline: Southwest
- Automobile (car/SUV) – Domestic: Ford
- Automobile (car/SUV) – Import: Toyota
- Automotive insurance: State Farm
- Bathroom tissue: Charmin
- Body lotion/moisturizer (excluding facial creams): Jergens and Aveeno (Statistical Tie)
- Bottled water: Dasani
- Coffee: Folgers
- Cold & flu remedy: NyQuil
- Cold cereal: Kellogg’s
- Computer (desktop/laptop): Dell and Hewlett Packard (Statistical Tie)
- Credit card: Visa
- Cruise line: Carnival
- Deodorant/antiperspirant (men’s): Old Spice
- Deodorant/antiperspirant (women’s): Secret
- Eye care product/eye health (excluding services, lenses and frames): Visine
- Facial moisturizer/cream: Olay
- Fast food/casual dining: McDonald’s
- Hair color: L’Oreal
- Headache/pain reliever: Tylenol
- Herbal supplements (non-vitamin): Nature Made
- Home entertainment electronics (excluding cell phones, computers and tablets): Sony
- Household air freshener/deodorizer: Glade
- Household cleaning product: Lysol
- Juice: Tropicana
- Laundry detergent: Tide
- Life insurance Company: MetLife
- Mass merchandiser retail store: Walmart
- Mobile phone/tablet: Apple
- National hotel chain/resort: Marriott and Hilton (Statistical Tie)
- National pharmacy/drug store: CVS and Walgreens (Statistical Tie)
- Online shopping site: Amazon
- Paper towels: Bounty
- Pet care products (excluding food): Hartz
- Pet food: Purina
- Shampoo/conditioner: Pantene
- Sleep aid (non-prescription, excluding cold/pain): ZzzQuil and Unisom (Statistical Tie)
- Soap/body wash: Dove
- Soup: Campbell’s
- Spices/seasonings: McCormick
- Toothpaste: Crest
- Vitamin supplement: Nature Made
Reader’s Digest first launched the Trusted Brands survey in Asia in 2000. It has since grown into a global initiative, spanning 25 countries, where it is used to gauge consumer attitudes and opinions related to products, services and professions, and to recognize the world’s most trusted brands.
Reader’s Digest saw the value in bringing the stamp of consumer approval to the U.S. as a way for shoppers to share their knowledge and recommendations for brands and the products they trust. The survey also helps brands understand how consumers shop, what they look for in various categories and how trust impacts their purchase decisions and behaviors.
