Secrets of 10 Most-Trusted Brands

4. Keep It Cool (and Fun): Apple

It is no more a surprise that the public and the press eagerly wait for each of the new products released by Apple. The base fact is that whatever be the new launch from the company, people trust it as they tend to think that it will be smart and sleek than the other products in the market and it will surely improve the way they communicate, work or spend their leisure time. And it brings out an immediate result—they end up in making the purchase.

Apart from being creative and expressive, the brand focus on stimulating the emotional quotient by opening up retail stores that foster a sense of collaboration and transparency between customers and the sales staff. "They hire empathetic people, and they don't measure their sales associates on sales," Stengel says calling Apple's approach to its stores "the best retail endeavor in history. They really want people to come in and be inspired, build confidence and really feel better about themselves from the experience they had in the store."

"Steve Jobs just thought about what was right for the brand and the consumer; and that focus is part of the reason they've done such a good job of creating new categories and products that continue to distance themselves from their competitors," said Stengel.

However, in the survey the brand got lower than average scores for a sense of connection to Apples’ corporate side, as well as for the perception that the company doesn’t value customers’ business or reward them for their loyalty. Stengel explains those sentiments to be the result of Apple’s extensive focus on its core functions.

Have a look at the secrets behind the success of the most-trusted American brands.