The rules of engagement as we know it in the social and real world have changed dramatically. At one time, brands single-handedly drove the narrative and put forth their own story in a way that was authentic to them. However, it has been seen increasingly in the past few years that consumers and users seek to align with brands that resonate with their own personal values and sense of purpose, in the process causing the user to be equally involved in driving brand stories.

This shift in the marketing landscape has been a great equaliser, and a few brand boffins realised this, differentiating their offering by reshaping its core proposition in keeping with the times. This is no mean challenge, as simply doing so as an act of lip service will be seen through in double-quick time. That makes it critical for brands to put forth their brand differentiation, but in a manner that is authentic and credible.

Trust and authenticity: critical success ingredients

As the marketplace gets crowded and competition fierce, brands have come to understand that trust becomes a major differentiator that makes or breaks a brand. Marketers and brand custodians realised that a brand’s ability to deliver on promises, create consumer experiences, and provide value to its customers consistently through its product and services are factors that make a brand stand out. And the Most Trusted Brands of India 2023 lauded brands that have successfully reigned supreme in the hearts and minds of consumers and in the process embodied the spirit of brand purpose.

Taking a research-based approach, Team Marksmen celebrated brands worthy of this accolade by using multiple parameters. This rigorous process then helped shortlist brands and understand which of them were truly worthy of being lauded.

The brands comprising the exclusive galaxy of Most Trusted Brands of India 2023 include:

• AkzoNobel India (Dulux)
• Granules India Limited
• Amulya Mica
• Avery Dennison India
• BIRLA HIL PIPES
• Clear
• CP PLUS
• Dr. Ortho
• Duroflex
• East West Pharma
• Enamor
• EQ India
• Fenesta Building Systems
• Fossil
• Gemini oil
• GreatWhite Electricals
• Haier Appliances (India)
• Hettich India Private Limited
• Hitachi Energy
• IIFL Finance
• Indian Bank
• Intervalve Poonawalla
• Kaya Limited
• Kisan
• KONE Elevators India
• Kotak Mahindra Bank
• Listerine
• LUX COZI
• Macmillan Education India
• Motorola
• MSP Steel
• Muthoot FinCorp
• MyTeam 11
• Nature Fresh
• Nayara Energy
• NTT Ltd. India
• Orient Electric
• ORRA Fine Jewellery
• Pankajakasthuri Herbals India (P) Ltd
• Parexel
• Pet saffa
• Reliance Digital
• Reliance MET City
• Rinac India Limited
• Roop Mantra
• Sharekhan Limited
• Shirdi Sai Electricals Ltd.
• Sprite India
• Sri Balaha Chemicals
• Switch Mobility
• Taj Mahal
• Tata Motors
• Tata Shaktee
• TCI Express
• Vijaya Diagnostic Centre

This industry-led and research-driven knowledge platform saw industry doyens converge and delve into what it takes to build a winning brand, how to shape the consumer experience through omnichannel strategies, build long-term consumer trust, how to create brand affinity, the evolution of brand-building, and much more.

The line-up of experts offering their perspectives included Shubhranshu Singh, VP Marketing, Tata Motors’ Commercial Vehicle Business Unit; Elizabeth Venkataraman, Joint President and Head of Marketing & Alliances, Kotak Mahindra Bank; Krunal Desai, Director Marketing, ZEE5 Global; Jean-Christophe Gougeon, Director and Chief Marketing Officer, Sharekhan by BNP Paribas; Manashwi Banerjee, Head of Communications India & South Asia, Hitachi Energy; Prasenjit Roy, Chief Marketing Officer, NTT India; Deepak Gaur, Director, Advisory Experience Consulting, PwC India; and Josy Paul, Chairman and Chief Creative Officer, BBDO India.

Offering his thoughts on the sidelines, Akash Tiwari, Co-Founder and CMO, Team Marksmen Network, said, “Brands are so much more than a collection of features and benefits. They are a critical part of our lives and cultural fabric, and as the marketplace gets crowded and competition becomes fierce, custodians have realised that trust is a key differentiating factor that can build a moat around the brand’s bottom line. It can even protect their brand’s core value proposition and protect it from any unforeseen externalities.

The brands recognised as Most Trusted Brands of India 2023 understand and epitomise this fully. It is their ability to deliver on promises, create unparalleled consumer experiences, and provide value to customers consistently that has seen them earn this one-of-a-kind accolade. But more than just appealing to the head, it is about reigning supreme in the heart that has stood these brands in good stead. We hope that their blueprint of success is one that others can learn from as well.”