2024’s most trusted brands: what retailers can learn from Band-Aid, UPS, Google and more

Morning Consult Pro’s annual report and brands list came out recently, and it reveals a host of important information about consumer expectations and how they affect retail sales in general. The annual brand trust studies separate industries by type and lists 118 different brands that most people will recognize as household names.

Instead of focusing on promoting brands that already get a lot of attention, retailers in key industries can use the data collected to upgrade and polish their own practices. What is it about annual favorites like UPS and Colgate that make people rely on them over the past decades? What did relative newcomers like Spotify and ChatGPT do to build themselves up to be highly reputable companies so quickly?

Most importantly, what can your retail brand do to get the same responses from your own target audience? It takes more than chasing trends or offering high-quality products to attract and retain the most discerning American consumers.

Who made the list of the most trustworthy brands?

When all the trust score determinations were measured and weighed and the feedback from the survey participants totaled, the report revealed the top fifteen most trusted brands in the United States. 

These include:

1. Band-Aid
2. UPS
3. Google
4. Lysol
5. Dove
6. Amazon
7. Colgate
8. Kleenex
9. The Home Depot
10. The US Postal Service
11. Tylenol
12. Clorox
13. The Weather Channel
14. Visa
15. Lowe’s

If you ask any person living in the USA, they will undoubtedly have heard of all of these and used the products or services at one time or another. However, popularity alone does not equal consumer trust. It would be more accurate to say that trust leads to popularity. Of course, this measurement shifts slightly when you look at different age groups. Younger consumers chose Google and YouTube over Kleenex and USPS, for example. ChatGPT was one of the newest brands to join the list this year.

How did these brands earn their trust among consumers?

Consistency and reliability top the list of beliefs that make a brand’s trust score skyrocket. All those that reached the top 10 on special reports have been around for quite a while and have enjoyed the opportunity to demonstrate their consistency over time. Customers have come to expect a certain quality and customer service experience, and these brands live up to those expectations.

Whether it offers physical products like Band-Aid and Lysol or services like UPS and Visa, delivering what they promise is one of the biggest drivers of trust. Even when an individual has negative experiences, the response and bulk of positive ones overshadow the issue quickly. They communicate their brand identity clearly, offer value, and provide a more personal, inclusive experience that consumers crave.

Consumer-centric strategies help retailers build trust

A small retail brand may never make its way onto a top 10 brands list like this annual report. However, it can learn a lot from the big household names when it comes to effective business practices. The more you focus on meeting and exceeding consumer expectations, the more comfortable your target audience will become. Personalization helps. In fact, the biggest consumer trends follow brands that put their customers first in all things.

Trustworthy brands have reliable products and services

Every single time a shopper comes into your store or visits your website, they should have their pick of high-quality products and services that meet their needs and fulfill their desires. The hottest brands prioritize quality from the start by choosing sustainable materials, exercising impeccable quality control over the manufacturing processes, and solicit feedback to make improvements over time.

Reliability makes it much easier for a shopper to hit the “Buy Now” button or take out their credit card at the check-out counter. Things like comprehensive warranties and satisfaction guarantees take things one step further. Reducing the stress and concern about a purchase and following up with a quick response in case anything does go wrong builds trust in a big way.

Transparency and honesty make for a reputable company

The fundamental pillars of brand building contribute to a company’s reputation even when an individual customer is dissatisfied or something bigger and more concerning occurs. The more open and honest the lines of communication, the more likely people are to trust that the brand will solve issues if they happen. This is especially true in Millennial and younger audiences who focus on social media products and service reviews and recommendations. These platforms offer companies the chance to get to know their customers more personally.

Other ways to instill trust include using straightforward pricing, honest marketing, and accurate representations of products and services. When someone walks into the US Post Office, they immediately know their shipping options and how much a stamp costs. Things like supply chain transparency matter, too. Savvy consumers care about things like eco-friendly practices and social responsibility more than ever before.

Effective brand identity, storytelling, and communication help

The above-mentioned things and other traits or interests specific to your brand are part of the identity that it shares with the audience. A compelling brand identity is about a lot more than an eye-catching logo, consistent color scheme, and clear messaging. The top brands on the list do, however, have all these things. Everyone can recognize the Dove iconic bird design or the bright orange of Home Depot.

Storytelling expands on the foundation of basic branding to make it more memorable and relatable. Authentic, well-crafted narratives evoke emotional responses that form deeper connections. Communicating these through social media, newsletters, advertising, in-store interactions, and more gives potential and existing buyers something they can believe in.

Conclusion

No matter what industry you represent or what demographic you target from Gen Z to Baby Boomers, you need them to trust that your company will deliver. New customer relationship management and marketing technology like the feature-rich Clientbook platform help build the type of respect and dedication you need from your customer base. Trustworthy brands need the ability to personalize the shopping experience, perfect their brand communication, and instill loyalty that lasts. You need the right software to make it simple. Book a demo to see for yourself.