BRAND TRUST

I just glanced through a list of the top global brands of 2012 by Interbrand.

Of the top 10, half are pre baby boom and half are post. The top five formed after the first boomer are Apple, Google, Microsoft, Intel, and Samsung. The five before are Coca-Cola, IBM, GE, Toyota and McDonalds. A couple of these are well over 100 years old and others are getting close. How do they stay relevant to a constantly evolving consumer?

There's a lengthy list of common threads among these brands that keep them at or near the top of their game. I will avoid the long list and cast a general observation, after spending 20 years inside one of these brands. They all have lost battles, been forced to adjust and rebuilt over and over again. But they are always sharply focused on the long-term health of their brand. They win the war in the end.

Lots of good reasons for their success, but at the core, they are "TRUSTED" more than any other brand in their field.

The trust factor. That's their end game!