When it comes to trusting consumer brands, Canadians stick close to home.
Five of the 10 most trusted brands in the country are homegrown, according to a new survey from the University of Victoria's Gustavson School of Business.
Topping the ranks were Tim Hortons (which could use the good news after that nasty incident where it got attacked on all sides over in-store ads for pipeline builder Enbridge) and President's Choice, Loblaws' epically succesful house brand.
Major food brands, and household brands in general, are the other category that Canadians seem to trust: Heinz and Kraft (soon to be the same company) and Campbell Soup made the list, as did Johnson & Johnson, maker of Listerine, Neutrogena, Rolaids and Tylenol, among many other products.
The school says its Gustavson Brand Trust Index will be an annual survey with the aim of "highlighting the connection between responsible business practices and customer responsiveness."
Among the survey's findings is that women are more trusting than men of brands, but both have similar preferences, and older consumer trust major brands more than younger ones.
Consumers are more likely to recommend brands they see as being "honest, consistent and reliable."
The least trusted brands among Canadians "were primarily in financial, travel and utility categories," the survey said, but banks as a whole scored above average for social responsibility. "Groupe Desjardins is particularly favoured in Quebec as is Vancity in B.C.," the survey said.
Here are the top 10 most trusted brands in Canada, according to the Gustavson Brand Trust Index:
Canadians' Most Trusted Brands
The survey sampled 3,125 consumers about 248 brands and companies in Canada, on 40 attributes. It also broke down rankings according to industry sector. Here are the most trusted brands in each category:
Banks: Toronto Dominion Bank
Beer: Alexander Keith’s
Cars: Honda
Coffee/Tea: DAVIDsTEA
Confectionery/Snack Foods: Cadbury
Consumer Packaged Goods: President's Choice
Dairy: Natrel
Energy Companies: Shell
Hotels: Holiday Inn
Insurance: Manulife
Media: CTV
Natural/Health: Jamieson
Pharmacy: Shoppers Drug Mart
Restaurants/Takeout: Tim Hortons
Retailers (non-drug): Canadian Tire
Soft Drinks/Juices/Waters: Coca-Cola
Supermarkets: Walmart
Technology: Google
Telecoms/Cable: TELUS
Travel: Westjet