Salvos the Most Trusted Brand in Australia

Given the name of this blog is IN BRANDS WE TRUST, it would be remiss if we neglected to cover today’s announcement that the Salvation Army has been recognised as Australia’s most trusted brand by a new ‘Eye on Australia’ report by Grey and Sweeney Research.

According to Smartcompany.com.au, the Salvos headed a list of 92 local and overseas brands and companies.

Could this tidal wave of sentiment back to a veritable charity have something to do with the global financial crisis? Bernard Salt certainly thinks so.

The high profile demographer told Smartcompany.com.au: “…people have shifted in what’s most important to them.”

“We now see the place for credibility for a brand that epitomises compassion,” he was quoted as saying.

Foundations of Brand Trust

Grey Executive Chairman, Paul Gardner, said Australians based brand trust on foundations including consistency, delivery on promises and open communication.

No argument here. Getting your product or service delivery consistently right simply gets you in to the game. You then need to communicate effectively and in an open manner your brand’s values and attributes. That doesn’t mean pounding your constituents over the head with incessant one-way messaging - the top four trusted brands, for example, are not major advertisers.

Effective communication means listening. It means having a point of view. Something interesting to talk about with customers and other stakeholders. It requires patience (long term strategy versus knee-jerk short-term results), empathy and responsiveness.

And as the Salvos have clearly demonstrated, providing a ‘human face’ behind the brand and staying true to one’s roots are powerful factors in building a strong sense of identity and authenticity. This is what people are after today. Glitzy chest-beating promotional activity might work in sporadic, tactical bursts but it won’t build the public’s trust in a brand. People want brands to add value to the conversation. To be involved in building and communicating with the community.

Smart public relations, including social media and face-to-face activity, plays a key role in building trust via ongoing, strategic two-way communications.

What is your brand doing today to build trust with its customers and broader constituency?

Australia’s top 10 most trusted brands are:

1. Salvation Army 
2. Google
3. Australia Post
4. Medicare
5. Bunnings
6. Cadbury 
7. Sanitarium 
8. Uncle Toby’s 
9. Kellogg’s 
10. Nokia

Further reading – TRUST: The Elusive Commodity Worth its Weight in Gold (and then some)

I’ll leave you with a classic Warren Buffett quote:

“Trust is like the air we breathe. When it’s present, nobody really notices. But when it’s absent, everybody notices.”

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