On Wednesday, Reader’s Digest magazine again published its annual Trusted Brands 2023 list. The results are revealing, as they provide insight into what German consumers value in brands and which brands they consistently trust.
Annually since 2001, Reader’s Digest has identified the most trusted brands in more than 20 product categories through a comprehensive consumer survey; since 2016 together with Dialego, the Aachen Institute for Innovation Research.
C&A Germany was voted first place in the clothing product category for the 19th time in a row; Nike takes first place in the footwear category. The survey was carried out without branding, which means that the 4,000 participants who were surveyed online in January and February 2023 were free to choose.
Foreign brands are catching up
They named US sports brand Nike second and Swedish fast fashion brand H&M third. The sporting goods manufacturer Adidas from Herzogenaurach came in fourth, followed by the Ratinger company based in Hong Kong, Esprit (fifth place) and the German fashion brand S. Oliver (sixth place).
The Metzingen-based company Hugo Boss fell to seventh place compared to the previous year, followed by the US brands Levi’s and Tommy Hilfiger in eighth and ninth place. Otto daughter Bonprix follows in tenth place. Not in the top ten this year: German brands like Jack Wolfskin, Kik and Gerry Weber.
Compared to previous years, it can be seen – at least in the clothing sector – that German consumers are slowly warming to foreign brands and no longer only trust national brands and almost exclusively choose German companies. For this reason, the German market has long been considered particularly difficult abroad, as it made it difficult for international newcomers.
What do German consumers appreciate about C&A?
Consumers were also asked what makes their preferred brand so trustworthy. At C&A, almost two-thirds said that the products meet needs (62 percent) and that the price/performance ratio is right (61 percent). More than half (56 percent) appreciate the quality or service and customer focus (52 percent) as well as reputation (46 percent), innovative strength and environmental protection (40 percent each).
Nike is the clear favorite for shoes with 402 votes, followed by Deichmann (318 votes), Adidas (301 votes) in third place and Rieker (277 votes) in fourth place. Places five and six – Tamaris and Gabor – follow at some distance with 123 and 108 votes respectively. The top ten shoes conclude Puma at number seven, Ecco at number eight, Skechers at number 9 and Salamander at number ten.
What do German consumers appreciate about Nike?
If you look at the front runner in the shoe sector, you will notice that different criteria are valued than at C&A. While a majority of those surveyed at Nike (56 percent) said that the products meet their needs, they value the prestige of the brand even more (60 percent). Innovative strength (54 percent) and quality (49 percent) are also very important, as are service and customer focus and environmental protection (48 percent each). Only about a third (35 percent) mentioned the price/performance ratio.
So, brand trust is very important when a brand wants to gain a foothold in a market. Kim Alexandra Notz, CEO of the creative agency KNSK, explained at the award ceremony last year how trust is created and how it can be increased: “Trust is needed when there is an information imbalance, which is actually always the case in a highly individualized and differentiated society . The customer always knows less about the product or service than the company itself. And accordingly, trust in the brand is needed. Trust is the magic glue to close this customer knowledge gap.”
Is sustainability relevant?
Since sustainability is becoming more and more important in purchasing decisions, Reader’s Digest also asked about relevant sustainability measures. Here, production in Germany was ahead, followed by consideration for animal welfare, the promotion of regional products and respect for human rights. Short transport routes, fair wages and organic cultivation were each mentioned directly afterwards.
Measures such as packaging without plastic, the use of renewable energies, lower CO2 emissions and the use of recycled materials were mentioned, but more as secondary criteria.