More than 65,000 Canadians reveal their most trusted consumer packaged goods brands for 2015 in second annual study

TORONTO, Feb. 9, 2015 /CNW/ - What drives brand trust? BrandSpark International knows. Today, the leading market research firm announced the 2015 BrandSpark Most Trusted Award winners for consumer packaged goods (CPG) brands; determined by a poll of more than 65,000 Canadians who participated in the 2015 BrandSpark Canadian Shopper Study.

Consumers' reasons for citing a brand as their "most trusted" vary by category: Quality perceptions and taste drive which food and beverage brands are cited as most trusted. For health and beauty brands, trust is built on quality perceptions, effectiveness, and perception of a fair price. For household brands, consumers most often cite proven effectiveness.

"Brand trust is an important factor for consumers when deciding what to buy," said Robert Levy, President of BrandSpark International. "Our BrandSpark Canadian Shopper Study shows that more than 70% of Canadians place a high importance on established trust in a brand when purchasing a product. The real question that we are able to answer for marketers is: 'What drives trust?' It is this insight, gleaned from years of consumer research in Canada, the United States, Mexico, China and parts of Europe that makes BrandSpark the leader in CPG consumer trends and insights, including brand trust."

What drives brand trust?

When Canadians were asked to rate what increases their trust in brands, at the top of the list was customer care and responding quickly to product issues, both cited by 62% of Canadians as "greatly" increasing trust in a brand. Pricing and promotion also play a role in brand trust with 43% saying that high-value promotions greatly increase their affinity for a brand, but a greater portion, 49%, say that consistent pricing increases their trust. Positive social actions may also increase trust with 64% saying that support for charitable causes would positively increase their trust in a brand, including 19% who said it would greatly increase.

When considering purchase of a new product, consumers consider it very important that it comes from a brand that they trust:

• 72% for a new beauty product
• 70% for a new health product
• 69% for a new personal care product
• 63% for a new household care product
• 60% for a new food and beverage product

Trust is particularly important in kids' category brands such as diapers (75%) and children's oral care (74%).

Canada's Most Trusted CPG Brands

Canadians named their Most Trusted CPG brands in more than 106 categories. Listed below is a selection of the winners. The full list of winners can be found at www.BrandSparkMostTrusted.com.

"Analyzing the reasons why consumers trust these brands allows us to uncover the drivers of trust and understand why specific brands resonate with consumers," added Levy.

How winners are determined

More than 65,000 respondents, reflecting the profile of the Canadian household shopper, determined the Most Trusted Award winners through their top-of-mind responses of the brand they trust most in select categories that they shop. They also provided us with their reasons behind their trust of the brands. BrandSpark researchers analyzed the unaided responses and the reasons for trusting the brand. The results were ranked based on the greatest volume of mentions, and if two brands were very closely matched ties were declared.

About the 2015 BrandSpark Canadian Shopper Study

The 2015 BrandSpark Canadian Shopper Study saw more than 65,000 respondents contribute their opinions during November and December of 2014. Companion studies are also conducted in the United States and six other markets around the globe.

About BrandSpark International

BrandSpark International is a leading brand, marketing and product innovation research company. Its comprehensive and innovative research approach gets at the heart of how consumers think, why they act the way they do, and what clients need to do about it. With expertise in retail and leisure categories and an exclusive relationship with the Best New Product Awards and the BrandSpark Most Trusted Awards, BrandSpark International has a deep global perspective on the drivers of innovation unlike any other research company. For more information, visit www.BrandSpark.com.

SOURCE BrandSpark International

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