Cover Story
Untitled Page
We value consistency
According to our 10 Most Trustworthy Brands study, Orange County residents place product performance over interpersonal elements.
By Steve ChurmPublished: April 01, 2010
We’ve
all gone rummaging through that top desk drawer looking for one thing,
only to stumble onto something else, something even more surprising.
The editors of this magazine and the founders of a new Santa Ana-based
think tank spent five months asking Orange County consumers which
companies they trust most, and why. Scores of survey respondents
selected the 10 Most Trustworthy Brands in this county. On the
preceding pages, OC METRO Editor-in-Chief Tina Borgatta and journalist
Jerry Hicks tell the stories behind those companies and how they
created cultures of trust that have attracted loyal customers.
But
along the way, a second story line emerged, one that paints a broader
picture about how Orange Countians build relationships with brands and
with each other. The findings say something about who we are and why we
are different. Orange County consumers place a higher premium on the
consistency of a product or service and its ability to meet our
expectations than on the deeper, more personal ingredients of
connection, sincerity or concern. Historically, national trust studies
have probed these five basic characteristics: ability, consistency,
connection, sincerity and concern.
The Orange County survey developed
by the Values Institute at DGWB followed the same academic path, so we
could compare our findings to the earlier studies. What we found was
that Orange Countians appear less interested in getting personal with a
retailer or institution. What we want is a brand we can count on. We
know what we want, and we will accept nothing less. Consistency and
quality in our products and services are the bottom line. It’s not
about building a personal connection with a brand, something that may
happen in other regions with more history. It’s about the ability of a
product to deliver every time. Remember, this is Orange County, where
appearance, lifestyle and consumption are often the measure of success.
Orange County is a Cuisinart of cultures and beliefs that
is still relatively young in its evolution. Our connection may be tied
to where we have come from, not where we live now. We have moved to
Orange County, or continue to live here, because it is fresh, always
changing and on the forefront of California’s leading edge when it
comes to global innovation, entertainment, business and master-planned
living. We are one of the world’s leading medical device centers. We
also boast one of the highest per-capita ratios for plastic surgery.
Apparently, there’s not enough time between our entrepreneurial drive,
Botox injections and happy hours to get involved with concern,
connection and sincerity. Harsh? Not really. Orange County is unique.
It is one of the most desirable places to live. I was raised here and
then returned to run a business for the past 20 years. I live here and
love it. I am bullish about our future as a community. Survey results
aside, there is a growing groundswell from the leadership at the Values
Institute, and other forward thinkers like the Ethical Edge’s Russell
Williams, to put the issue of trust, behavior and respect on the table
for all of us to chew on. schurm@churmmedia.com
Orange County's 10 Most Trustworthy Brands
Disneyland | Trader Joe's | Chapman University
Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim | Mother's Market & Kitchen
Planned Parenthood of Orange & San Bernardino Counties
In-N-Out Burger | St. Joseph Hospital
Vizio | Cal State University, Fullerton
WHAT MAKES A BRAND TRUSTWORTHY,
AND WHY IS IT CRITICAL TO BUSINESS SUCCESS?
THE VALUES INSTITUTE'S SURVEY: METHODS AND STATS
|
||||
|
But along the way, a second story line emerged, one that paints a broader picture about how Orange Countians build relationships with brands and with each other. The findings say something about who we are and why we are different. Orange County consumers place a higher premium on the consistency of a product or service and its ability to meet our expectations than on the deeper, more personal ingredients of connection, sincerity or concern. Historically, national trust studies have probed these five basic characteristics: ability, consistency, connection, sincerity and concern. Orange County is a Cuisinart of cultures and beliefs that is still relatively young in its evolution. Our connection may be tied to where we have come from, not where we live now. We have moved to Orange County, or continue to live here, because it is fresh, always changing and on the forefront of California’s leading edge when it comes to global innovation, entertainment, business and master-planned living. We are one of the world’s leading medical device centers. We also boast one of the highest per-capita ratios for plastic surgery. Apparently, there’s not enough time between our entrepreneurial drive, Botox injections and happy hours to get involved with concern, connection and sincerity. Harsh? Not really. Orange County is unique. It is one of the most desirable places to live. I was raised here and then returned to run a business for the past 20 years. I live here and love it. I am bullish about our future as a community. Survey results aside, there is a growing groundswell from the leadership at the Values Institute, and other forward thinkers like the Ethical Edge’s Russell Williams, to put the issue of trust, behavior and respect on the table for all of us to chew on. schurm@churmmedia.com Orange County's 10 Most Trustworthy Brands
Disneyland | Trader Joe's | Chapman University Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim | Mother's Market & Kitchen Planned Parenthood of Orange & San Bernardino Counties In-N-Out Burger | St. Joseph Hospital Vizio | Cal State University, Fullerton WHAT MAKES A BRAND TRUSTWORTHY, AND WHY IS IT CRITICAL TO BUSINESS SUCCESS? THE VALUES INSTITUTE'S SURVEY: METHODS AND STATS |
||||
