Trust is important in all aspects of life. It comes into play in things like our personal relationships, business decisions, entertainment choices, the brands we buy, and the businesses we choose to frequent.

Brands know they must establish trust with their consumers or success will be very hard to sustain. With that in mind, Clarify Capitol recently surveyed Americans to find out what the most trusted brands are in the country. By doing so, they also uncovered the least trusted brands.

One thing they discovered is that the healthcare industry is the most trusted, while the legal profession came in last, with only 19% of Americans having trust in that industry.

What Makes A Brand Trustworthy

This question was asked in the survey and the most popular responses included:

  • Delivers on promises (36%).
  • They ask for honest reviews and feedback (36%).
  • Pricing transparency (35%).
  • Builds relationships with consumers (34%).
  • Consistent performance (33%).
  • Listens to and acts on feedback (31%).
  • Employee treatment transparency (30%).
  • Provides behind-the-scenes info about processes (29%).
  • Easy to use website (29%).
  • Pays employees well (28%).
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How Did Restaurant Chains Fare In This Survey?

When it came to restaurant chains, there was a clear winner when it came to trust and a two-way tie for last place.

First, congratulations to Pizza Hut! When Americans were asked if the pizza chain was trusted, 40% answered yes, which put them in first place, just ahead of KFC at 39% and Mcdonald's at 37%.

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As for the least trusted brand, the two-way tie was between Chipotle and Sonic Drive-In, with only 18% of Americans saying they trusted either of the brands. Chipotle also ranked as the lowest-trusted brand overall by baby boomer respondents.

Both brands finished just ahead of Panera Bread, which was trusted by 20% of those surveyed.

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For Minnesotans, you're much more likely to encounter a Chipotle than a Sonic Drive-In. There are currently a whopping 78 Chipotle locations across the state, while there are only 6 Minnesota Sonic Drive-Ins.

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Keep in mind that this nationwide survey involved around 1,000 people and dealt with entire brands, not individual restaurant locations. As anyone who travels knows, not all locations of a brand are necessarily created equal.

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As for the big picture results of the survey, the #1 most trusted brand in America across all industries was Amazon with 56% of those surveyed saying they trust the brand. Netflix came in second overall a 49%.

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50 Most Popular Chain Restaurants in America

YouGov investigated the most popular dining brands in the country, and Stacker compiled the list to give readers context on the findings. Read on to look through America's vast and divergent variety of restaurants—maybe you'll even find a favorite or two.

Gallery Credit: Paul Feinstein

 

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