Whittaker’s has again topping the list of Kiwi’s most trusted brands – for an amazing sixth year in a row.
But not only was the chocolate company voted the Most Trusted Brand across all categories, it also won the confectionary category and was voted Most Iconic NZ Brand.
The NZ Reader’s Digest survey was conducted by Roy Morgan and sought the opinions of 1400 Kiwis. Fonterra Brands’ Tip Top ice cream was fourth in the Most Trusted Brand category after winning the Ice Cream category, and Goodman Fielders’ Edmonds brand fifth, and also highly commended in the Most Iconic NZ Brand category.
FGC members dominated their sections:
Biscuits – Griffins (winner), Arnotts and CookieTime (highly commended). Bread – Vogel’s, Ploughmans, Molenberg. Breakfast – Sanitarium, Hubbards, Vogel’s. Cat Food – Whiskas, Science Diet, Friskies. Confectionary – Whittaker’s, Lindt, The Natural Confectionary Company. Crackers – Huntley & Palmers, Griffins, Arnotts. Cleaning products – Dettol, Jif, Persil. Dog food – Eukanuba, Purina Tux, Science Diet. Fruit and Herbal Tea – Dilmah, Healtheries, Twinings. Hair Care – Schwarzkopf, Dove, Head & Shoulders. Ice Cream – Tip Top, Kapiti, Movenpick. Laundry – Persil, Surf, Ecostore. Meat & Poultry – Hellers, Silver Fern, Tegel. Muesli & Snacks – Sanitarium, Mother Earth, Nice & Natural. NZ Wines – Oyster Bay, Villa Maria, Cloudy Bay. Pain Relief – Panadol, Nurofen, Voltaren. Pest Control – Raid, Mortein, Black Flag. Skin Care (anti-ageing) – Nivea, Dove, L’Oreal. Tea – Dilmah, Twinings, Bell. Tissues – Kleenex, Sorbent. Toddler Milk Formula – Karinourish, S-26 Gold, Heinz Nurture. Yoghurt – fresh’nfruity, Puhoi Valley, Meadow Fresh. Vitamins & Supplements – Healtheries, Blackmores, Red Seal. Pams won the Supermarket Home Brand category, followed by Signature and Home Brand, while New World won the Supermarkets category, followed by PAK’nSAVE and Countdown.
Reader’s Digest Australasian managing editor Louise Waterson said the results proved that New Zealanders valued honest brands. “Maintaining this ranking involves a genuine commitment to protect and fulfil the promises made to the consumer.”
“Many purchases are made with the heart and, even in this digital age, it’s the brands which continue to offer quality and substance that hold our trust.”
Those surveyed were asked what factors influence them to place their trust in a brand. High reputation, great customer service, reliable and cost effective, quality and innovative, promise keepers, consistent and durable (stood the test of time) were the answers.
Waterson says that in many cases the same trustworthy qualities that were attractive to our grandparents remain the primary motivators today. But that is increasingly being coupled with the presence of well-established social media communities.
“Social media plays a big part in the winning of trust, with many people preferring the testimonials of fellow consumers on social media.”
“There’s no doubt that a well-managed social media account is a valuable tool in fostering ongoing trust.
“For example, on average, over 2.5 million Kiwis use Facebook every month with 80 per cent reporting they use it to discover products and brands. The winning brands featured in the survey understand the role social media plays in terms of the power of customer reviews, and the decision making of prospective customers,” she says.
She said the survey reveals New Zealanders like to start their day with Sanitarium and Vogels and end it with a Villa Maria wine purchased from New World. They favour Toyotas and prefer them to have Firestone tyres, and be topped up with fuel from Z. If vacuuming is a chore that can’t be ignored then Dyson is the cleaner to trust, while a Masport will take care of the lawn, and Dettol’s there for any necessary cleaning tasks. A Sleepyhead bed – New Zealanders’ favoured bed – will look even better than ever at the end of such an active day.