Think About It

Straightforward companies with conscience win favor with young trendsetters

You can’t gain their trust easily. But with the right mix of straight talk and social responsibility, your company could win over some of the most loyal consumers around: the technologically savvy, socially aware members of Generation Y.

Researchers say that Gen Y-ers, the group of 20-somethings born from the late 1970s to the mid-1990s, look hard before they buy. They’re civic minded and socially conscious and prefer to give their business to companies who are the same way. When they find a company they can believe in, they are fiercely loyal, both to reward the favored company and to financially punish those they dislike.

Outlaw Consulting, a trend-watching company based in San Francisco, recently released a list of Generation Y’s 15 most trusted brands. The firm noted that the top brands reject hype in marketing. They speak in a straightforward, stripped down way. They use simple packaging and avoid excess.

When we dug into Outlaw’s list, we noticed that these brands have something else in common: They’re well-defined and are presented with absolute consistency. These companies stick to their brand in all their communication, from advertising to packaging to the Web.

In short, the top 15 companies know who they are. But do you? How well have these top brands permeated your brainwaves? Let’s find out.

Below, we’ve listed tag lines or key language from the 15 most trusted brands among Generation Y trendsetters. See if you can identify each company from its brand message.

1. Leading the personal computer industry in innovation; spearheading the digital media revolution
2. A grocery store with honest prices on terrific products every day
3. Superior service in every aspect of our customer’s air travel experience
4. Hamburger drive-through with fresh ingredients and “quality you can taste”
5. The finest quality ice cream with a commitment to promoting business practices that respect the Earth and the environment
6. The world’s leading retailer of natural and organic foods; dedicated to quality and committed to sustainable agriculture
7. Sports brands built on a passion for competition; “impossible is nothing”
8. Wholesale, sweatshop-free T-shirts; vertically integrated manufacturer and retailer of clothing
9. Large, general merchandise discount stores with a “fun and convenient shopping experience with thousands of highly differentiated and affordably priced items”
10. Clothing stores offering fashion and quality at the best price
11. The original, authentic and definitive jeans
12. Sporty, affordable, fun-to-drive cars
13. “America’s original sports company;” “a rich heritage of legendary shoes”
14. Healthy, flavorful water with a unique blend of nutrients
15. “It’s beer. Hooray beer!”; delicious refreshment in the short and stubby bottle

The answers:

1. Apple
2. Trader Joe’s
3. Jet Blue
4. In-N-Out Burger
5. Ben & Jerry’s
6. Whole Foods
7. Adidas
8. American Apparel
9. Target
10. H&M clothing stores
11. Levi’s
12. Volkswagen
13. Converse
14. Vitamin Water
15. Red Stripe Jamaican beer

So, how’d you do? Were the answers obvious or obscure? Well, before you do a victory dance – or hang your head in defeat – remember, this isn’t really about you. It’s about them.

The better job a company is doing of creating a memorable and distinctive brand, the easier it is to guess who they are from their brand position. If guessing was easy, then the credit goes not to you, but to their brand team. Likewise, if you read the brand position and it didn’t bring to mind any specific company – or if you thought of any number of companies it could be – it doesn’t mean you aren’t spending enough time watching Comedy Central. It means that while these brands may be trusted by Generation Y consumers, they may still have work to do in refining and communicating their brand.