Secrets of 10 Most-Trusted Brands

5. Design on Experience: Target

With its sleek, stylish ad campaigns and collaborations with high-end designers, it is easy for the customers to forget that Target is a discount store. The company creates limited-edition merchandise that makes fashion-lovers crazy and its public face often belies its mass-merchant status.

In addition to this, Target consistently delivers an exceptional retail experience—from store design to price and customer service.

The Branding Consultant Rob Frankel said, "Target makes a real effort to provide an enjoyable shopper experience, but you still get quality merchandise at a good price. As part of their brand persona, they make an effort to be warm and human, and that resonates with people and drives them to embrace it."

They always go on with easy-to-maneuver layouts and a consistent design that makes its retail outlets easy and intuitive places to shop, giving customers confidence that they will be able to find what they want, even on a vast selling floor. "It's not only more pleasant than their competitors; people actually enjoy being there," Frankel said.

"Target says [it's] going to give you a decent alternative that can hold up against more expensive fashion brands," he added saying that firms should recognize the importance of providing a warm, human experience that foster the kind of trust letting them command higher margins, drive traffic and enjoy better brand perception than their competitors.

Several respondents also noted that the customer service at the store is friendly and consistent.

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