Results are Out: 2009 Reader’s Digest Trusted Brands

If a company or product manufacturer is to influence consumers’ purchasing decisions and earn their trust, they should improve on their social responsibility record and not just rely on good customer service. This was evident based on the latest results of the 2009 Reader’s Digest Trusted Brands Survey in the Philippines.

The survey results bared the local and foreign brands that will receive Gold and Platinum Trusted Brand status, which will be formally awarded to winners today, April 30 at the Manila Peninsula Conservatory in Makati.

Based on the survey, 99% of respondents in the Philippines rated social responsibility as important (55%) and very important (44%), the highest among countries in Asia covered by the survey.

The results of the Reader’s Digest Trusted Brands Survey in the Philippines somewhat mirrored the Asian results. 78% of respondents rated social responsibility as important and will influence their purchasing decisions compared to Hong Kong and Singapore where residents did not rate it highly.

Some of the brands that made the acclaimed trusted list this year are Gold awardees: Ajinomoto (Seasoning Category), Baguio Oil (Cooking Oil), Bigen (Hair Dye), BPI Asset (Investment Fund), BPI Credit Card (Credit Card), Canon (Digital Camera and Multi-Function Printer), Citibank (Credit Card), Dutch Boy (Paint), Emperador (Wine/Liquors/Spirits), Enervon (Vitamins/Health Supplement), Metrobank (Bank and Investment Fund), Minola (Cooking Oil), Panda (Pen), Petron (Petrol Station), Pilot (Pen), Sony Cybershot (Digital Camera); while Boysen (Paint), Nokia (Mobile Phone), Philamlife (Insurance), Sony Bravia (LCD/Plasma TV), St. Luke’s Medical Center (Hospital) and Uratex (Mattress) are Platinum winners for the year.

“The Reader’s Digest Trusted Brands survey is constantly evolving. We want to make sure it continues to be a great resource for consumers, marketers and global players looking to enter Asia markets. This year, we added social responsibility as a benchmark to the survey as it is becoming important for brands to do more for the community, the environment, its employees and practise good corporate ethics,” said Mr. Simon Cholmeley, Group Advertising Director, Reader’s Digest Asia.

For more than a decade now, the Reader’s Digest Trusted Brands Survey is recognized for being Asia’s most comprehensive and credible measure of consumer confidence, based on scientific, structured and transparent research.

Partnered with The Nielsen Company, world leader in International media research and analysis, the survey covered 8 key Asian markets: China, Hong Kong, India, Malaysia, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand and the Philippines. –Daily Tribune