New data from market research firm, Roy Morgan, has revealed Australia’s most and least trusted brands. And surprise, surprise, Optus is the least trusted brand. But you might be surprised to see Coles and Woolworths in the top 10 most trusted brands, given the intense scrutiny they have been under.
Both supermarkets have dropped places (Woolies by one, and Coles by two places), as a result of cost of living challenges and the recent criticism and ridicule that they have received.
But they are still in the top 10! Why is that?
If you consistently give me what I need (even if I am unhappy with how it is delivered), or your brand becomes part of my life simply because of frequent use (e.g. Australia Post), then there is some trust automatically gained – even if I don’t LIKE you.
Trusting is different to liking.
But if your brand doesn’t have the ability to be regularly depended on in someone’s life, then you cannot get away with not being liked and trusted.
Both likeability and trust matter greatly to people choosing your brand and staying with it.
And both likeability and trust are important in banking goodwill for the bad times.
If, unlike some of these top 10 trusted brands, you are not embedded in your customer’s life with consistent visibility and frequent use, then you don’t have anything else to prop up your trust and likeability.
Similarly, if your business is frequently used, but does not have consistent visibility, then you too do not have anything to compensate for shaky trust and likeability.
For example, you may be an Optus customer and have them on your least-liked list. The frequent use of your phone does not substitute the lack of trust, because you are not thinking of Optus every time you use your phone. It is missing frequent visibility.
So what does this mean for businesses that are not household brands with widespread recognition, or brands that are not consistently used with frequent visibility? You better be proactive and intentional in building trust and likeability for your business.
Looking for a way to improve the likeability and trustworthiness of your brand? Get in touch with Pure Public Relations today to learn how a tailored PR campaign can help you.
