Dive Brief:
- Coca-Cola, Kraft, Kellogg's, Hershey's, Heinz, Campbell's, and General Mills' Yoplait are among the top trusted brands in their food and beverage categories, according to a recent survey from BrandSpark International.
- Trust is evidently — and obviously — key for food and beverage manufacturers to attract consumers to their brands, as 63% of shoppers for food and beverages said that buying a new product from a brand they trust was important to their decision.
- In a win for major brands, more than two-thirds of consumers said they prefer to buy brand name products on sale over generic brands with lower prices.
Dive Insight:
... But the importance of buying from a trusted food and beverage brand was the lowest of five categories surveyed, which included household and healthy and beauty products, at 63% compared to 72% for beauty products. Despite a heightened focus on food safety, transparency, and natural ingredients, consumers aren't as intent on buying from trusted food and beverage brands compared to other categories. The survey's results highlight a greater concern in how major brands can effectively communicate with and educate consumers regarding products and industry developments to boost trust — and in turn, purchases.
Consumers may prefer trusted brand names, but they don't always stick to the same brands, with 43% of consumers reporting less loyalty to a particular brand than they had in the past. Boosting and retaining customer loyalty through engagement, promotions, and taking consumers' input into consideration will be critical for manufacturers.
Consumers want to feel that companies are listening, and they will more positively respond to companies' decisions when they feel those companies took their input into consideration, according to a study from Cornell University released last month.
Hershey isn't a surprise for this list, as the company announced its own commitment to increased transparency — and natural ingredients — last February. Hershey was also the first company to adopt the Grocery Manufacturers Association's new SmartLabel, a scannable QR code that provides more product information to consumers.