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Since 2012, we have studied trust in depth, conducting the BrandSpark Canadian Trust Survey™ to recognize brands that consumers trust most which are announced as the BrandSpark Most Trusted® Awards winners. This year, the annual study gathered data from over 32,000 consumers across 292 categories, asking which brands they trust, why they trust them, and how brands rank on various trust drivers. Our insights are further enriched each year with secondary studies focusing on trust themes, such as trust drivers and the influence of recommendations. This year, we added a survey of 7,100 people in 98 product categories to explore how trust affects business performance and customer loyalty.

The Financial Edge of Resilient Trust

For consumers to purchase your brand, they must trust you. Our research reveals that in only 2% of the of over 17,000 purchase interactions measured, consumers reported trusting the brand they bought LESS than the competition.
But not all trust is the same – where it starts to get interesting is when looking at how much more a brand is trusted to alternatives in the category. From our studies, a typical brand can expect it to be distributed roughly equally between three groups – where you’re a brand that is trusted about the same as competitors, a little more, and much more. This final case (much more) is what we call Resilient Trust.
Our data shows that consumers are willing to pay a premium of 15% on average for brands with Resilient Trust vs. 9% for brands with merely equal trust. This premium indicates the perceived value that Resilient Trust brings to each purchase, reducing the likelihood of consumers switching to lower-priced alternatives.

Building Deep Brand Trust Relationships

Resilient Trust also fosters a future-oriented bond between a brand and consumers. For resilient brands, future purchase intent rises to 68% on average vs. 17% for brands with merely equal trust, underscoring the link between trust and loyalty.

It’s also important to recognize that while the typical brand may only build Resilient Trust with about 30% of their shoppers, there are many brands – across a wide variety of categories – that almost double that.

Examples of high-resilience brands include Dyson (air purifiers), Rapala (fishing lures), and Garmin (GPS), with resilience scores nearly double the category average. Strong levels of Resilient Trust can span a diverse range of brands, from heritage brands like Kraft (peanut butter) and Barbie (dolls) to innovation-driven brands like Hill’s Science Diet (premium cat food). Even in competitive categories like exterior paint, Behr can achieve strong levels of resilience. But how do they do this?

High-Resilience Brands build trust as outlined in the BrandSpark Hierarchy of Trust™

Based on our findings, building trust – and layering on resilience – follows a hierarchy. At the base, brands provide Value through fair pricing and quality, addressing essential needs and establishing foundational trust. Reassurance follows, with reliable customer support,
consistency and issue resolution ensuring consumers feel secure.
At higher levels, trust becomes aspirational. Brands that Enhance through innovation or heritage stand out, while those that Align with consumer values, integrate into consumers’ identities, fostering deeper loyalty. While these higher levels are often critical to building resilience, they only really work to drive business results if the foundation trust elements are strong.

The Path Forward: Combining Financial and Emotional Strengths for Future Growth

Our findings are clear: achieving Resilient Trust status directly enhances financial metrics. Key strategies for brands include striving to be “more trusted” not just trusted, consistently delivering on the core trust element of VALUE, and enhancing trust through aspirational drivers such as innovation, heritage, or value alignment. By focusing on these areas in the right order, brands can not only earn trust but strengthen it, creating a foundation that is resilient through market shifts and can fuel future growth.

© Copyright 2024 BrandSpark International Inc. All Rights Reserved. BrandSpark is a registered trademark. All information presented is proprietary and no part may be used or reproduced, in whole or in part, by any means without permission. Any reference to the information, BrandSpark research, studies or survey results, or any charts or graphs extracted from this document must be accompanied by a statement identifying BrandSpark International as the publisher.

Scott Boyer is the EVP and partner at BrandSpark International / Reach out to Scott by email at: