Trust Continues to Play a Major Role in Canadian Consumer
Decision-Making

Toronto, ON - Canadians continue to value trust as a major factor in consumer decision-making with eight-in-ten (81%, 20% strongly agree/61% somewhat agree) Canadians saying they would pay more to support a product or service from a brand they trust, according to a new Ipsos Reid poll conducted on behalf of Reader's Digest. Only one in five (19%, 3% strongly disagree/16% somewhat disagree) disagreed that they would pay more money to support a brand they trust.

Trust continues to play a major role in Canadian's decision-making, with over nine in ten (93%, 38% strongly agree/55% somewhat agree) agreeing that when a product's quality and price are similar, they tend to buy the product from the company they trust more, with only 7% (1% strongly disagree/6% somewhat disagree) disagreeing with this statement. Furthermore, nine in ten (90%, 32% strongly agree/58% somewhat agree) agree that it is important to trust the companies they support, with only 10% disagreeing (1% strongly disagree/9% somewhat disagree).

Once Canadians trust a company, they tend to recommend their products or services. Almost nine in ten (87%, 29% strongly disagree/58% somewhat disagree) report that when they trust a company, they tend to recommend that product or service to my friends and family, with over one in ten (13%, 2% strongly disagree/11% somewhat disagree) disagreeing with this statement.

The Reader's Digest poll asked Canadians to name the brand they trust most in 38 product categories. Some of the top trusted brands for particular categories include:

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Canadians were also asked to rate their trust on a list of professions. Professions rated highest in trust are firefighters (78% trust), ambulance drivers/paramedics (72% trust), and nurses (69%). Among some of the least trusted are CEOs (8%), car salespeople (4%), and national politicians (4%).

These are some of the findings of an Ipsos Reid survey conducted between January 3 to 9h, 2014 on behalf of Reader's Digest. A sample of 2527 Canadians, with an over-sample of 1017 Canadian Families (households with at least one child 18 years and younger) from Ipsos' Canadian online panel were interviewed. Weighting was then employed to balance demographics to ensure that the sample's composition reflects that of the adult population according to Census data and to provide results intended to approximate the sample universe. The precision of Ipsos online surveys is measured using a credibility interval. In this case, the total sample is accurate to within +/-2.2 percentage points had all Canadians been surveyed. All sample surveys and polls may be subject to other sources of error, including, but not limited to coverage error, and measurement error.

For more information on this news release, please contact:

Sean Simpson
Vice President
Ipsos Reid
Public Affairs
(416) 572-4474
[email protected]

About Ipsos Reid

Ipsos Reid is Canada's market intelligence leader, the country's leading provider of public opinion research, and research partner for loyalty and forecasting and modelling insights. With operations in eight cities, Ipsos Reid employs more than 600 research professionals and support staff in Canada. The company has the biggest network of telephone call centres in the country, as well as the largest pre-recruited household and online panels. Ipsos Reid's marketing research and public affairs practices offer the premier suite of research vehicles in Canada, all of which provide clients with actionable and relevant information. Staffed with seasoned research consultants with extensive industry-specific backgrounds, Ipsos Reid offers syndicated information or custom solutions across key sectors of the Canadian economy, including consumer packaged goods, financial services, automotive, retail, and technology & telecommunications. Ipsos Reid is an Ipsos company, a leading global survey-based market research group.

To learn more, please visit www.ipsos.ca.

About Ipsos

Ipsos is an independent market research company controlled and managed by research professionals. Founded in France in 1975, Ipsos has grown into a worldwide research group with a strong presence in all key markets. Ipsos ranks third in the global research industry.

With offices in 86 countries, Ipsos delivers insightful expertise across six research specializations: advertising, customer loyalty, marketing, media, public affairs research, and survey management.

Ipsos researchers assess market potential and interpret market trends. They develop and build brands. They help clients build long-term relationships with their customers. They test advertising and study audience responses to various media and they measure public opinion around the globe.

Ipsos has been listed on the Paris Stock Exchange since 1999 and generated global revenues of e1,712,4 million (2 274 M$) in 2013.

Visit www.ipsos.com to learn more about Ipsos' offerings and capabilities.