The document summarizes the top 10 most trusted Indian brands in 2009 according to a survey conducted by Brand Equity and Nielsen. Nokia ranked as the most trusted brand, followed by Colgate, Lux, Lifebuoy, Dettol, Horlicks, Tata Salt, Pepsodent, Britannia, and Reliance Mobile. The document provides details about each brand such as advertising agency, company information, and brief descriptions of each brand. Executives from some of the top brands like Nokia, HUL, and GSK also shared thoughts on building trust in brands.

1. Top Ten Indian Brands -2009

2. Brand Equity unveils the most comprehensive article of faith in the Indian brandworldand
the most unique listing of its kind, Brand Equity Most Trusted Brands 2009, in a
glittering event held in Mumbai.
The who’s who of the Indian marketing and advertising
Nitin Paranjpe, CEO, Hindustan Unilever,
D Shivakumar, MD, Nokia,
Shantanu Khosla, MD, P&G,
Piyush Pandey, chairman, O&M and
Sam Balsara, chairman, Madison
to name but a feattended the event. This independent nationwide survey conducted for
Brand Equity by Nielsen is the benchmark for Trust, an ageless virtue and the ultimate
pinnacle that every marketer and every brand wants to achieve. And this, the single-
biggest study of its kind, has now become the gold standard for the entire marketing and
advertising fraternity
Rank 1: Nokia
Advertising Agency: JWT/W+K
D Shivakumar, MD Nokia: Continued trust
in challenging times is earned by consistent
performance, delivering 'more' than the
promise, everyday. This reinforces the bond
between the consumer and the brand.
Delivering 'more' than the promise requires
brands and firms to be transparent in this era of the internet, media scrutiny and word of
mouth. Putting more information helps trust; opacity will hurt trust in a brand.
About the brand:
Nokia has established itself as the market and brand leader in the mobile devices market
in India. The company has built a diverse product portfolio to meet the needs of different
consumer segments and therefore offers devices across five categories i.e. Entry, Live,
Connect, Explore and Achieve. With the global launch of Ovi, the company's Internet

3. services brand name, Nokia is renewing itself to be at the forefront of the convergence of
internet and mobility. It has three Research & Development centers in India, based in
Hyderabad, Bangalore and Mumbai. (Content: www.nokia.co.in)
Rank 2: Colgate
Advertising Agency: Ridiffusion YR
About the brand:
From a modest start in 1937, when hand-
carts were used to distribute Colgate Dental
Cream, Colgate-Palmolive (India) today has one of the widest distribution networks in
India, a logistical marvel that spans around 4.5 million retail outlets across the country, of
which the Company services 1.5 million outlets directly.
The Company has grown to a Rs 1300 crore plus organization with an outstanding record
of enhancing value for its strong shareholder base. The company dominates the Rs 2400
crore Indian toothpaste market by commanding close to 50% of the market share. Colgate
was ranked as India’s Most Trusted Brand across all categories by Brand Equity’s Most
Trusted Brand Survey for four consecutive years from 2003 to 2007. (Content:
www.colgate.co.in)
]
Rank 3: Lux

4. Advertising Agency: JWT
Company: Hindustan Unilever Ltd
Nitin Paranjpe, MD & CEO, HUL: Excitement can be created; trust must be earned.
And the challenge before marketers is to deliver excitement in a manner that does not
violate trust, but enhances it.
About the brand:
Lux stands for the promise of beauty and glamour as one of India's most trusted personal
care brands. Since 1929, Lux in step with the changing trends and evolving beauty needs
of the consumers, offers an exciting range of soaps and Body Washes with unique
elements to make bathing time more pleasurable. (Content: www.hul.co.in)
Rank 4: Lifebuoy
Advertising Agency: Lowe
Company: Hindustan Unilever Ltd
About the brand:
Launched in 1895, Lifebuoy, for over 100 years, has been synonymous with health and

5. value. The relaunch of the soap in 2002, 2004 & again in 2006 have been turning points
in its history. It is now in a superior formulation offering a new health fragrance and a
contemporary shape. It’s vision is, “Making a billion Indians feel safe and secure by
meeting all their health and hygiene needs”. Lifebuoy also offers specific health benefits
through specialised product formats like Lifebuoy HandWash & Lifebuoy Clearskin,
which provides treatment and protection against acne. (Content: www.hul.co.in)
Rank 5: Dettol
Advertising Agency: Euro RSCG
About the brand:
Dettol is the gold standard of effective germ kill
recommended by medical experts and healthcare
professionals for its proven ability to protect families
from germs. The brand remains up to date through
the launch of new products relevant to changing
lifestyles such as hand sanitizer, liquid hand wash, shower gel, all purpose cleaners, and
antibacterial wipes.
FMCG major Reckitt Benckiser is expecting sales from its popular antiseptic brand

6. 'Dettol' to cross Rs 1,000-crore mark by the end of this year. "The company expects that
sales of Dettol, which is the top selling antiseptic brand in the country to cross Rs 1,000-
cr mark by the end of current year," Reckitt Benckiser India Regional Director-South
Asia Chander Mohan Sethi said.
The company operates on a calendar year basis and had closed 2008 with revenue
earnings around Rs 1,800 cr. The company is mulling to add several new products in its
portfolio to achieve the target. According to industry experts, if the company is able to
achieve Rs 1,000-cr sales from Dettol in the current year, it would become the second
company after Hindustan Uniliver Ltd (HUL) to achieve the milestone.
Rank 6: Horlicks
Advertising Agency: JWT
Company: GlaxoSmithKline
About the brand:
Horlicks is the leading health food drink in India and
enjoys more than half of the health food drink market. Although it has been a popular
brand in Indian market since 1930s, Horlicks underwent a revamp in 2003 to further
increase its relevance.
The modern and contemporary Horlicks offers pleasurable nourishment with a delicious
range of flavours including vanilla, toffe, elaichi and chocolate. It is a favourite with both
mothers for its nourishment and kids for its great taste and variety. (Content: www.gsk-
ch.in)

7. Rank 7: Tata Salt
Advertising Agency: Leo Burnett
Company: Tata Group
About the brand:
Tata Salt pioneered the branded salt movement in India in 1983. It was the first salt in
India to be manufactured using vacuum evaporation technology.
The desh ka namak (salt of the nation) advertising campaign lent voice to the emotional
connect and warmth that people associate with salt. In espousing the cause of the
common man, through its insistence on saltiness for taste and the adequacy of iodine to
ensure complete wellness, it earned for itself the epithet of desh ka namak and the trust of
consumers across the country. Today the brand is seen as reliable and trustworthy and
promoting the health of customers. Its appeal cuts across regions and it has become an
integral component of a majority of Indian kitchens. (Content: www.tata.com)
Rank 8: Pepsodent
Advertising Agency: Lowe
About the brand:
Pepsodent, launched in 1993, was the first toothpaste with a unique anti-bacterial agent to
address the consumer need of checking germs even hours after brushing.
Pepsodent packs included a Germ Indicator in February-May 2002, which allowed
consumers to see the efficacy in fighting germs for themselves. As a follow-up, in

8. October 2002, Pepsodent offered Dental Insurance to all its consumers to demonstrate the
confidence the company has in the technical superiority of the product.
The relaunch campaign in October 2003 widened the context to "sweet and sticky" food
and leveraged the truth that children do not rinse their mouths every time they eat,
demonstrating that this makes their teeth vulnerable to germ attack.
Pepsodent's most recent campaign aims at educating consumers on the need for germ
protection through the night. (Content: www.hul.co.in)
]
Rank 9: Britannia
Advertising Agency: Lowe/McCann Erickson
About the brand:
Britannia strode into the 21st century as one of India's biggest brands and the pre-eminent
food brand of the country. It was equally recognised for its innovative approach to
products and marketing: the Lagaan Match was voted India's most successful
promotional activity of the year 2001 while the delicious Britannia 50-50 Maska-Chaska
became India's most successful product launch.
In 2002, Britannia's New Business Division formed a joint venture with Fonterra, the
world's second largest Dairy Company, and Britannia New Zealand Foods Pvt Ltd was
born. In recognition of its vision and accelerating graph, Forbes Global rated Britannia
'One amongst the Top 200 Small Companies of the World', and The Economic Times
pegged Britannia India's 2nd Most Trusted Brand. (Content: www.britannia.co.in)
Rank 10: Reliance Mobile
Advertising Agency: Cartwheel Creative
Company: Reliance Communications

9. About the brand:
Reliance Mobile (formerly Reliance India Mobile), launched on 28 December 2002,
coinciding with the joyous occasion of the late Dhirubhai Ambani’s 70th birthday, was
among the initial initiatives of Reliance Communications.
It marked the auspicious beginning of Dhirubhai’s dream of ushering in a digital
revolution in India. Today, we can proudly claim that we were instrumental in harnessing
the true power of information and communication, by bestowing it in the hands of the
common man at affordable rates.
Reliance Communications is the flagship company of the Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group
(ADAG) of companies. Listed on the National Stock Exchange and the Bombay Stock
Exchange, it is India’s leading integrated telecommunication company with over 80
million customers.