Trust. It takes years to build, seconds to break, and forever to repair. Our lives are fueled by trust and our decisions, whether personal or professional are influenced by the confidence we have in these relationships.

In an era where too much information has its benefits and disadvantages, trust is that one factor that remains constant. Once trust is established, it becomes an instinctive response – the consumer buys the brand without so much as a second thought because they can relate to it as "their" brand.

For consumers, the mark of a trusted brand is a seal of excellence, and a relationship that goes far beyond price, trends and marketing campaigns.

For business, trust is the ultimate vote of confidence. A forward-facing measure imbued with expectation, promise and satisfaction and a solid reputation of distinction.

MOST TRUSTED SURVEY

On June 30, 2015, Reader’s Digest once again recognizes these companies at the Trusted Brands Awards ceremony to be held at the ballroom A of the Marco Polo Hotel in Ortigas, Pasig.

Department of Trade and Industry Undersecretary for Consumer Protection Group (CPG) Victorio Dimagiba will be the keynote speaker while Reader’s Digest Asia Pacific Group Advertising and Retail Sales Director Sheron White will be personally awarding the trophies to the winners.

For the past 17 years, Reader's Digest has approached ordinary Filipino consumers to ask their opinions on what brands of products and services are important to them.

Backed by all these years of research, it has confidently and precisely identified the features a trusted brand must possess in order to maintain relevance and purpose for its consumers.

A trusted brand enjoys international appeal, yet at the same time upholds a strong local connection.  It has individual relevance for all its consumers, just about anywhere and in any culture.

Cost, quality and desirability are all important factors for consumers. Yet it's vital for a brand to stay true to its promises. While brands come in and out of vogue, those that capture our attention, maintain our confidence and win over our trust do so by holding fast to their core principles.

For the Trusted Brand Survey, Readers Digest has commissioned leading global market research company Ipsos to survey a representative sample of people in Asia on their most trusted brands in 42 categories of products and services across a wide range of industries.

Approximately 5,000 individuals were selected across 5 of Asia’s key markets such as the Philippines, HongKong, Malaysia, and Taiwan.

In the Philippines, around 1000 respondents completed the survey. Half were subscribers to Reader's Digest, while the remainder were selected to reflect the demographics of the general population.

Each respondent was required to complete a questionnaire or participate in a mail, face to face, telephone or online survey. Ipsos asked each participant to tell us the name of their most trusted brands and then to rate each of those brands listed on the following six attributes: Trustworthiness, Credibility, Quality, Value, Understanding of Customer Needs, Innovation and Social Responsibility.  This year the awards will be presented in each of the 42 categories.

GOLD Trusted Brands Awards – will be given to brands that scored significantly higher than their rivals.

PLATINUM Trusted Brands Awards – will be given to brands that performed exceptionally, winning their category for at least 3 countries surveyed.

ASIA TRUSTED Brand Awards will be given to a brand that wins the Reader's Digest Trusted Brand award in the same category for at least three countries surveyed.