This document analyzes the relationship between top-of-mind awareness and brand trust using a case study of the milk category in Nigeria. A survey found that Peak milk dominated as the top-of-mind and most trusted brand, with 50% and 56% respectively. Dano and Three Crowns followed as the second and third most top-of-mind and trusted brands. The performance of the different brands provides insights into how consistent brand building initiatives can increase awareness and trust over time.

1. Top- of- Mind Awareness
and Brand Trust: Any Link?
brandhealth Dipstick Research
Milk Category

2. “How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in?
And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not
heard?”
The whole duty of a brand is to attract and retain the
consumers. This is its plan “A”, there is no other plan.
Getting this job done successfully by the brand is not an
easy one. As Shanne Vanwatter puts it in his poem:
“They will not come, they must be brought
They will not seek , they must be sought
They will not learn, they must be taught”
So, the question remains: how does a brand bring in and retain consumers who have
other options? The brand must know that the consumers will not come on their own
except they are brought.
The first step of making the consumers to come is for the brand to be heard. It must be
heard continuously and everywhere. Every touch-point must tell the story of the brand
such that the knowledge of the brand occupies a very big space in the mind of the
consumers. The bigger the brand space in the mind of the consumer, the easier it
becomes for the brand to pop up first, each time the brand category is mentioned. In
other words, the brand becomes top of mind for the consumers.
Top of Mind Versus Brand Trust

3. As it is said, faith comes by hearing. Hearing about
the brand consistently builds consumer confidence
around the brand in a manner that allows the
consumer to begin to seek for the brand. If the
experience with the brand is positive, the consumer
seeks for the brand over and over again. Let me say
here that a brand that enjoys continuous seeking by
the consumer must have enjoyed some measure of
trust by the consumers. It must have kept the
promises made to the consumer; it must have
matched words with action. Trust therefore
depends on information and experience.
In brand-consumer relationship, trust is not blind or total. Consumers flirt and
they do that always. When a new brand is introduced into a category with a
stronger promise of quality, affordability and availability, even strong loyalists are
tempted to peep outside and if the temptation is stronger, they switch brands. It
goes without saying that top of mind is not the only factor that engenders trust,
but it is a strong factor.

4. A case Study of Milk Category
1
1
1
1
1
1
5
5
6
10
18
50
others
Oldenburger
Nunu
Nido
Miksi
Coast
Loya
Hollandia
Cowbell
Three Crown
Dano
Peak
Top of Mind Awareness
3
1
1
1
2
4
5
5
10
12
56
Others
Nido
Oldenburger
Coast
Real
Loya
Cowbell
Hollandia
Three Crown
Dano
Peak
Most Trusted Brand
Note: Figures are in percentages

5. The Milk Category
Peak milk dominates half of the space of consumers mind in
Nigeria. In the survey we conducted between May 3 and
May 8, 2020, 50% of the consumers mentioned Peak milk as
the top of mind brand for them, and even more(56%)
mentioned the brand as the most trusted in the category.
The performance of the brand on the metrics of top of mind
awareness and most trusted brand could have been as a
result of long years of relationship and its ability to keep its
promises to the consumers.
Dano Milk, the first runner up has 18% top of mind awareness and 12% trust. 4% of the
consumers who mentioned Dano as top of mind do not place the brand as the most
trusted. What could have been the reason? Could it have been issue with price? Could it
be that a problem of distribution or consumer acceptability? We did not ask this, Dano
has to find that out.
Three Crowns Milk is the third in terms of top of mind and trust. 10% mentioned that
brand as top of mind and the same proportion puts their trust in the brand. Three
Crowns and Peak milk have the same parent, so why is the brand not doing as well as
Peak? Perhaps the investment in and the positioning of the two brands are not the same.

6. Cowbell Milk is the fourth in terms of top of mind with 6%
but 5% as the most trusted brand. Cowbell has done a lot in
terms of brand building initiative, yet not so great in the
two metrics measured. Could it be that the consumer
experience is below what the brand has promised? The
brand needs to find this out.
Loya Milk occupies the sixth position in terms of top of mind (5%) and Most trusted
brand(4%). Loya Milk has the potential in the market if it invests more in the brand
and also reworks its brand positioning.
Other brands need to do more to be heard and believed in. The consumers would
always ask, “How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how
can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard?”,
Hollandia Milk is in fifth position with 5% each for top of
mind and most trusted brand. The brand owner is not
single-minded as it has other categories competing for its
attention and resources. The investment in Hollandia Milk
brand building initiative could have been a challenge. On
the whole, the brand has done fairly well compared to
older milk brands which were not even mentioned as top
of mind.

7. Respondents’ profile
30%
16%
14% 13% 12%
15%
South
West
South
South
South East North
Central
NorthEast North
West
25%
23%
27%
15%
10%
18-24 25-34 35-40 41-50 51-65
54%
46% Female
Male
Distribution by Zone
Distribution by Age
Distribution by Gender
Total Sample : 1990
This study was conducted online in May, 2020

8. About brandhealth
brandhealth is a brand research Agency.
We are in business to enable consummate
relationship between brands and their
consumers.
The brandhealth Tracker aims to foster an
intimate, passionate and enduring
commitment between brands and
consumers.
Let us work together to build your brand.
Call us on
08036766337; 08124376200