India's most trusted brands 2009

ET Bureau

Brand Equity unveils the most comprehensive article of faith in the Indian brand world and the most unique listing of its kind, Brand Equity Most Trusted Brands 2009, in a glittering event held in Mumbai.

The who’s who of the Indian marketing and advertising, Nitin Paranjpe, CEO, Hindustan Unilever, D Shivakumar, MD, Nokia, Shantanu Khosla, MD, P&G, Piyush Pandey, chairman, O&M and Sam Balsara, chairman, Madison to name but a few, attended the event.

This independent nationwide survey conducted for Brand Equity by Nielsen is the benchmark for Trust, an ageless virtue and the ultimate pinnacle that every marketer and every brand wants to achieve. And this, the single-biggest study of its kind, has now become the gold standard for the entire marketing and advertising fraternity.

Rank 1: Nokia

Advertising Agency: JWT/W+K

D Shivakumar, MD Nokia: Continued trust in challenging times is earned by consistent performance, delivering 'more' than the promise, everyday. This reinforces the bond between the consumer and the brand. Delivering 'more' than the promise requires brands and firms to be transparent in this era of the internet, media scrutiny and word of mouth. Putting more information helps trust; opacity will hurt trust in a brand.

About the brand:

Nokia has established itself as the market and brand leader in the mobile devices market in India. The company has built a diverse product portfolio to meet the needs of different consumer segments and therefore offers devices across five categories ie. Entry, Live, Connect, Explore and Achieve. With the global launch of Ovi, the company's Internet services brand name, Nokia is renewing itself to be at the forefront of the convergence of internet and mobility. It has three Research & Development centers in India, based in Hyderabad, Bangalore and Mumbai.


Rank 2: Colgate

Advertising Agency: Ridiffusion YR

About the brand:

From a modest start in 1937, when hand-carts were used to distribute Colgate Dental Cream, Colgate-Palmolive (India) today has one of the widest distribution networks in India, a logistical marvel that spans around 4.5 million retail outlets across the country, of which the Company services 1.5 million outlets directly.

The Company has grown to a Rs 1300 crore plus organization with an outstanding record of enhancing value for its strong shareholder base. The company dominates the Rs 2400 crore Indian toothpaste market by commanding close to 50% of the market share. Colgate was ranked as India’s Most Trusted Brand across all categories by Brand Equity’s Most Trusted Brand Survey for four consecutive years from 2003 to 2007.

Rank 3: Lux

Advertising Agency: JWT

Company: Hindustan Unilever Ltd

Nitin Paranjpe, MD & CEO, HUL: Excitement can be created; trust must be earned. And the challenge before marketers is to deliver excitement in a manner that does not violate trust, but enhances it. (Read full story)

About the brand:

Lux stands for the promise of beauty and glamour as one of India's most trusted personal care brands. Since 1929, Lux in step with the changing trends and evolving beauty needs of the consumers, offers an exciting range of soaps and Body Washes with unique elements to make bathing time more pleasurable.

Rank 4: Lifebuoy

Advertising Agency: Lowe

Company: Hindustan Unilever Ltd

About the brand:

Launched in 1895, Lifebuoy, for over 100 years, has been synonymous with health and value. The relaunch of the soap in 2002, 2004 & again in 2006 have been turning points in its history. It is now in a superior formulation offering a new health fragrance and a contemporary shape. It’s vision is, “Making a billion Indians feel safe and secure by meeting all their health and hygiene needs”. Lifebuoy also offers specific health benefits through specialised product formats like Lifebuoy HandWash & Lifebuoy Clearskin, which provides treatment and protection against acne.

Rank 5: Dettol

Advertising Agency: Euro RSCG

About the brand:

Dettol is the gold standard of effective germ kill recommended by medical experts and healthcare professionals for its proven ability to protect families from germs. The brand remains up to date through the launch of new products relevant to changing lifestyles such as hand sanitizer, liquid hand wash, shower gel, all purpose cleaners, and antibacterial wipes.

FMCG major Reckitt Benckiser is expecting sales from its popular antiseptic brand 'Dettol' to cross Rs 1,000-crore mark by the end of this year. "The company expects that sales of Dettol, which is the top selling antiseptic brand in the country to cross Rs 1,000-cr mark by the end of current year," Reckitt Benckiser India Regional Director-South Asia Chander Mohan Sethi said.

The company operates on a calendar year basis and had closed 2008 with revenue earnings around Rs 1,800 cr. The company is mulling to add several new products in its portfolio to achieve the target. According to industry experts, if the company is able to achieve Rs 1,000-cr sales from Dettol in the current year, it would become the second company after Hindustan Uniliver Ltd (HUL) to achieve the milestone.

Rank 6: Horlicks

Advertising Agency: JWT

Company: GlaxoSmithKline

About the brand:

Horlicks is the leading health food drink in India and enjoys more than half of the health food drink market. Although it has been a popular brand in Indian market since 1930s, Horlicks underwent a revamp in 2003 to further increase its relevance.

The modern and contemporary Horlicks offers pleasurable nourishment with a delicious range of flavours including vanilla, toffe, elaichi and chocolate. It is a favourite with both mothers for its nourishment and kids for its great taste and variety.

Rank 7: Tata Salt

Advertising Agency: Leo Burnett

Company: Tata Group

About the brand:

Tata Salt pioneered the branded salt movement in India in 1983. It was the first salt in India to be manufactured using vacuum evaporation technology.

The desh ka namak (salt of the nation) advertising campaign lent voice to the emotional connect and warmth that people associate with salt. In espousing the cause of the common man, through its insistence on saltiness for taste and the adequacy of iodine to ensure complete wellness, it earned for itself the epithet of desh ka namak and the trust of consumers across the country.

Today the brand is seen as reliable and trustworthy and promoting the health of customers. Its appeal cuts across regions and it has become an integral component of a majority of Indian kitchens.


Rank 8: Pepsodent

Advertising Agency: Lowe

About the brand:

Pepsodent, launched in 1993, was the first toothpaste with a unique anti-bacterial agent to address the consumer need of checking germs even hours after brushing.

Pepsodent packs included a Germ Indicator in February-May 2002, which allowed consumers to see the efficacy in fighting germs for themselves. As a follow-up, in October 2002, Pepsodent offered Dental Insurance to all its consumers to demonstrate the confidence the company has in the technical superiority of the product.

The relaunch campaign in October 2003 widened the context to "sweet and sticky" food and leveraged the truth that children do not rinse their mouths every time they eat, demonstrating that this makes their teeth vulnerable to germ attack.

Pepsodent's most recent campaign aims at educating consumers on the need for germ protection through the night.


Rank 9: Britannia

Advertising Agency: Lowe/McCann Erickson

About the brand:

Britannia strode into the 21st century as one of India's biggest brands and the pre-eminent food brand of the country. It was equally recognised for its innovative approach to products and marketing: the Lagaan Match was voted India's most successful promotional activity of the year 2001 while the delicious Britannia 50-50 Maska-Chaska became India's most successful product launch.

In 2002, Britannia's New Business Division formed a joint venture with Fonterra, the world's second largest Dairy Company, and Britannia New Zealand Foods Pvt Ltd was born. In recognition of its vision and accelerating graph, Forbes Global rated Britannia 'One amongst the Top 200 Small Companies of the World', and The Economic Times pegged Britannia India's 2nd Most Trusted Brand.