For 12 years the results of a national survey have revealed the New Zealand’s most trusted brands. Every year I read the release and the news stories that follow and wonder about reputation and trust and how we all, as consumers decide which brands we trust and those we don’t.

The top performers in this year’s Kantar Corporate Reputation Index are very much the usual suspects and they tend to occupy the top spots most years – Toyota New Zealand, PAKn’SAVE, Air New Zealand, TVNZ, although Air New Zealand dropped out of the top three for the first time this year. The list is made up of a mixture of locally owned and overseas businesses – there are four banks in the top 20, one of them is New Zealand owned. But that is by the by – the survey asks respondents to evaluate the top 50 public facing companies in New Zealand based on certain parameters to establish reputation. We won’t all agree on those listed, we would likely think other companies should be listed but that’s the nature of surveys.

“‘This is an important survey to businesses, because reputation underpins everything in business,’ Kantar’s Sarah Bolger said. ‘It’s the single strongest indicator of whether a company will thrive or fail.'” (Source: “New Zealand’s most trusted brands revealed,” June 9, www.rnz.co.nz).

There we go, the most important indicator of success or failure is reputation. One would then assume that the companies survey respondents ranked were ones they had a personal connection to  – they brought their products, or used their services – not ones that were selected because they appeared to exude trust through advertising or marketing. Although it is worth noting many businesses trade off on being a ‘trusted brand’ and use it in their promotion – thus creating perceived trust in consumers’ minds who have not used their products or services before.

“‘In a year marked by economic pressure, global uncertainty and declining trust in many institutions, New Zealanders are rewarding companies that feel dependable, consistent and genuinely useful in their everyday lives,’ Bolger said. ‘The highest-performing brands are not necessarily the loudest or most aspirational. They are the organisations people believe will turn up, deliver value, treat customers fairly and behave responsibly when times are tough.'” (Source: “New Zealand’s most trusted brands revealed,” June 9, www.rnz.co.nz).

By any marker of reputation, dependability, consistency, fairness, and responsible behaviour are essential attributes and ones that we seek when purchasing or using services. One could argue those are also things that every company should hold as bywords for conducting their business and dealing with their customers. As we know, not all do and a bad reputation is the death knell for most businesses.

Toyota new Zealand took the top spot for the third year in a row and the brand has a long established history in New Zealand and Toyota vehicles were at one time produced here. “Toyota New Zealand chief executive Tatsuya Ishikawa said they were incredibly proud of the recognition. ‘To achieve a three-peat in the Corporate Reputation Index is something we’re very grateful for,’ Ishikawa said. “Trust is earned over time and this recognition belongs to our stores, staff, partners and customers right across New Zealand.'” (“Toyota named New Zealand’s most reputable brand – Kantar Corporate Reputation Index,” June 9, www.nzherald.co.nz).

These lists are useful indicators but at the end of the day may mean more for the businesses than they do for consumers. Consumers tend to associate with brands so they can remove a large amount of the decision making required for individual purchases. It follows that if we trust the brand we will trust that a certain pair of shoes, or dress, or computer is worth buying because that brand sells it. That connection between brand and consumer takes time to build and isn’t usually generated because a brand scores highly on a survey list.