Trusted Brands 2011: The Votes Are In!

Between September 20–October 3, 2010, Harris/Decima completed 1,500 online surveys among a random sample of its panel members.

The survey questions were divided up among three sections including trusted Canadian personalities, trusted Canadian professions and industries, and finally Trusted Brands. In this last section the survey focused specifically on which brands you trust the most in 31 different categories. 

Passenger Car Manufacturer: Toyota 

Toyota listens to its customers—and that simple fact just might be why this year Canadians trust Toyota more than any other passenger car brand in the country.

And listening to its customers what is Toyota hearing? It hears that Canadians want well-priced, top-quality vehicles that they can drive and drive and drive—and then re-sell (at a good price)! Which must be why an astonishing four million Toyotas have been sold in Canada to date. It hears that Canadians want new and innovative product choices. Sure enough, Toyota is rolling out several new models this year in Canada. And it hears that Canadians want sustainable vehicles. Committed to delivering sustainable, quality-built and well-priced vehicles, Toyota offers the most fuel efficient passenger car fleet in Canada. Toyota hears that Canadians want safety as standard, so Toyota is the first full-line manufacturer to make all of the elements of the Star Safety System standard on every new 2011 vehicle.

Hybrid Car Manufacturer: Toyota

When it comes to the environment, Toyota understands that we all want to do our part, no matter how small, to keep the air clean, to protect the planet, to fight climate change.

So when Canadians were asked what hybrid car company they trust above all others, they said Toyota. Why? Because Toyota is doing its part, too. Toyota is constantly examining its products, business strategies and daily operations and setting goals for its own environmental improvement. And then, of course, there are the vehicles themselves. This year, Canadians will see the expansion of the Prius into a family of vehicles with the launch of the Prius v and, in 2012, a compact urban hybrid model inspired by the Prius c Concept. With the Prius Plug-in Hybrid in Canadian test trials, Toyota continues to advance sustainable mobility they continue to deliver on their commitment to offer a hybrid in every segment they compete by 2020. As the best-selling hybrid brand in Canada, Toyota knows that without advanced environmental technology, no car company will retain Canadians' trust.

Breakfast Cereal: Kellogg's

Quick, off the top of your head – name a breakfast cereal that is not made by Kellogg's. Tough? Here's an easier one: name the brand of cereal Canadians trust the most. Yes, there's really only ever been one answer and that's Kellogg's.

Canadians who voted Kellogg's as their Most Trusted Brand rated "Offering a high quality product" as the most important brand attribute.

It's a brand with serious staying power, its cursive red K, an icon of our childhoods. And while it's true that Kellogg's was founded over a hundred years ago, its success cannot simply be chalked up to longevity. What Kellogg's has been delivering all these years with every box of cereal and every snack is consistent high quality, great tasting, wholesome food. We all know that we need to eat breakfast – it helps fuel the day. But over the years, as our lifestyles have changed and our ideas about nutrition and health have evolved, how has Kellogg's kept up? By continuing to make breakfast cereals delicious and nutritious. By remaining accountable on everything from product quality and food safety to truthful and transparent marketing. By developing Mission Nutrition, a program that engages students in learning activities about healthy eating, physical activity and positive self-esteem. And by staying true to its roots – the best to you each morning…

Pet Food: Iams

Improving the lives of dogs and cats is a personal passion shared by everyone who works at Iams and many of us have opened our hearts, homes and lives to our four-footed furry Friends.

Like all pet owners, we want our pets to be happy and healthy so that we can enjoy more years with them; therefore it is important our products deliver benefits that improve their lives and are clinically proven and backed by scientific research.

We believe in the quality, benefits and nutrition of our products, and strive to meet, and surpass pet owner's high expectations. We back every Iams product with a 100% satisfaction guarantee. When it comes to our products, we only use high quality ingredients and we keep quality assurance at the core of what we do.

Commitment to the safety and quality of our products is our top priority. We insist on constant and rigorous inspections throughout the Iams manufacturing process, including more than 150 quality assurance tests on each bag of Iams pet food before it even reaches the store shelf. Inspections and quality audits are performed by internal credentialing groups, as well as external organizations such as the American Institute of Baking which sets standards for human food production and has awarded the Iams manufacturing sites with superior and excellent ratings.

Life Insurance Company: Sun Life

It's life's more difficult moments that put some brands to the test. No one knows this better than Sun Life Financial, the insurance company that Canadians trust above all others to be there and to protect them in good times and bad.

Since 1865, Sun Life has been there for Canadians as they've started new jobs, suffered a workplace accident, decided to retire or lost a loved one. It's a continuous relationship, one that is built over time and founded on a simple concept: Sun Life strives to be present in the lives of their customers. And while high quality products and services are at the core of Sun Life's success in helping Canadians achieve financial security, in guiding them through the challenges they face, it's interaction that really counts at the end of the day – plain old customer service. "Were we warm, empathetic, helpful, fair? How did we help our customers on their journey today? Have we done everything we can to earn the trust that they placed in us?" These are the standards by which Sun Life Financial employees
measure their daily performance and clearly, Canadians have answered with a resounding 'yes'.

Sensitive Toothpaste: Sensodyne

If ice cubes look threatening to you, or if hot coffee makes you recoil, then no doubt you know Sensodyne, the toothpaste that Canadians trust more than any other brand for the relief of their sensitive teeth.

How does Sensodyne succeed in helping save so many of us from those sudden daggers of shooting pain? It's rock solid science. With over fifty years of research and development, Sensodyne is a brand that quite simply delivers on its promises.

Made by GlaxoSmithKline, one of the world's leading research-based pharmaceutical companies, the Sensodyne brand was built on the recommendations of dental professionals. No surprise then that Sensodyne is the toothpaste that dentists themselves recommend the most to treat and manage dentin hypersensitivity. And as a result of constant product innovation, Sensodyne has us covered by relieving pain and providing younger users with a sensitivity toothpaste that freshens breath and whitens their teeth with brushing. It's a trifecta of expertly endorsed smiles built on the efficacy of a product that works. Now that's a brand you can trust.