Australia's most trusted brands

First-aid products rank highest

Mike King

Mike King is a Fool.com.au Investment Analyst and Writer. He caught the investing bug more than a decade ago, at a time when the U.S. had invaded Iraq and fear reigned in the markets. His initial success as the markets took off encouraged his passion and thirst for knowledge. With 13 years behind him at one of Australia's largest domestic banks, Mike's passion for stocks led him to join a boutique funds management firm, where he stayed for four years. A seven-year stint in equity research at one of the largest investment banks in the world followed that, giving Mike a thirst to pursue his passion further. Mike holds a Diploma in Applied Finance and Investment and a Graduate Certificate in Financial Planning. His passion is to help retail investors invest better, and that passion was one of his primary reasons for joining The Motley Fool Australia in late 2011. Mike has written thousands of articles since joining, including for Fairfax Media, Yahoo!7, Ninemsn and has also appeared on ABC's The Business. You can see all of Mikes' holdings here

Published July 23, 2013 10:48 am AEST

Bunnings is our nation's most trusted retailer, according to the latest survey of Australian consumers.

Australia's Reader's Digest has released its twelfth poll in which Australians were asked to nominate the products they trusted the most and products that dominate their lifestyle.

But it seems first aid products are the products we trust the most. Given their importance in our lives that makes a lot of sense. Dettol remains in the top spot, followed by Band-Aid and then Panadol, retaining their positions for the second consecutive year.

Dulux products – made by Dulux Group (ASX:DLX) came in fourth, while toothpaste maker Colgate came in fifth. Guide Dogs were in sixth spot, followed by Elastoplast, Cadbury and Johnson & Johnson. And it seems Aussie kids are still Weet-Bix kids with the Sanitarium brand rounding out the top ten.

Hills Hoist – manufactured by Hills Holdings (ASX:HIL) was the nation's most iconic brand, ahead of Dick Smith and Vegemite. Hardware retailer Bunnings – owned by Wesfarmers Limited (ASX:WES) – was our top retailer, while Toyota was named our most trusted car for the second year in a row. The Toyota Corolla and Hilux lead sales in their respective categories.

Pedigree is our top brand choice for our four-legged friends, while Vanish Napisan is the must have product for those unsightly stains. Blackmores (ASX:BKL) topped the vitamins and supplements segment, despite strong competition from Swisse, Cenovis, Centrum Nature's Way and Nature's Own.

Australian Reader's Digest editor Sue Carney said the top brands had a long history of being steadfast and safe. "It's the brands which continue to offer quality and substance that hold our trust," she said.

Foolish takeaway

Building brand loyalty can translate into a strong competitive advantage, and create barriers to entry for new competitors. Just look at the dominant positions of the likes of Coke, IBM and Microsoft.

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Motley Fool writer/analyst Mike King doesn't own shares in any companies mentioned.

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