Cheerios is the most trusted food and beverage brand in the U.S., especially among healthy eaters, according to Morning Consult’s Most Trusted Brands 2022 report. M&M’s, Ritz, Campbell’s, and Heinz round out the top five.
The report reveals that trust in food and beverage companies is high, but should not be taken for granted. More than 7 in 10 (72%) of U.S. adults said they trust the food and beverage industry, which is the highest of all industries Morning Consult assessed. High-income consumers are even more likely (82%) than lower-income consumers (69%) to trust the industry.
However, although trust is high for the industry as a whole, consumers are willing to change their purchase behaviors when a particular brand loses their trust. Over one-third (34%) of consumers said they would switch brands (the highest of any industry), and 25% said they would never use that brand again (second highest industry).
The top three reasons for losing trust in a brand were:
- Bad customer service experience
- Product quality went down
- Stood for a cause you disagreed with
The first two reasons were relatively consistent across generations, but the third showed a striking pattern – 33% of Baby boomers said they would lose trust if a brand stood for a cause they disagree with, compared to only 15% of Millennials and 17% of Gen Xers.
Download the full report for more information about trust, the factors that increase/decrease it, and how it impacts purchase decisions.
