Introduction

Findings

#1 — Transparent Marketing Campaign:

• The 2016 Label Insight Food Revolution Study found that transparency is a critical issue to gain customer trust for food brands in the US and it is indicated by nearly all respondents (91%) reported it is important to get transparency about what is their food and how it is made.
• The bakery-cafe chain company Panera Bread differentiated its brands from the public perspective and it took a progressive step by launching a marketing campaign "Food As It Should Be" in 2015.
• The campaign makes a big promise at the moment which is stopping using artificial ingredients by the end of 2016.
• The campaign ensures transparency on the menu that lists calories, ingredients, nutritional information for every item, animal welfare and positive impact report for the customer.
• To promote its transparency message, Panera utilizes TV ads and video ads, print, out-of-home, in-store point-of-purchase, digital, social and public relations, through online and offline media.
• The result of the Panera's campaign lead to the engagement with 1.5 million views on the brand’s YouTube channels as well as a strong financial result with 2016 total revenue increased 3% and earnings rose to 8%, better than the analysts' prediction.

#2 — User-Generated Content (UGC) Strategy:

• A survey from Olamic reveals that 65% of US respondents are interested to explore the information from UGC before shopping and 53% will be more likely to buy a product after seeing a positive user-generated image of the product online.
• The wearable gadget brand Amazfit tried to gain trust from US customers by employing UGC marketing strategy.
• The company adopted automation platform Stackla to build a community page for customers to shares their story with Amazfit products and generate dynamic social UGC from their customers and send to all subscribed emails every day.
• In the moment of Mother's Day, the company launched a Mom's of Amazfit campaign to share lessons how mothers are using Amazfit fitness trackers and stories from their customers and influencers.
• This UGC strategy is able to double page views of the company's website, increase sales by 29%, and grow their online audience by 7%.

#3 — Combining Digital Self-Service with Human-to-Human Interaction:

• A survey from customer engagement and analytics software company Calabrio reports that 74% of customers are more loyal to a business that gives the option to speak to a human.
• The leading US turkey brand Butterball has been successfully building multi-channel assistance from customer hot line, online channel, to Alexa voice assistant.
• By employing more than 50 experts from various background, the company receives more than 100,000 questions answered each season.
• The company consistently improves its largest Turkey producers in the US and its consistent combined marketing effort has resulted in the increasing market share from 25% of American Turkey in 2012 to more than 30% in 2016.

Research Strategy

• Detailed research reveals that automotive brands have successfully positioned themselves as a trustworthy brand in the customer's mind include Bosch Auto Part (car service provider), O'Reilly Auto Parts, and LKQ Corporation. Bosch provides certified auto-workshop services within America and some other 150 countries. We have documented our findings on the identified companies as follows:

1. BRAND: Bosch

• With many auto workshops and sales centers in America, Bosch Car Service is one among the most extensive independent chain workshops. Bosch is an independent brand and offers updated products and services.
• Bosch provides certified auto-workshops within America and about 150 countries of the world. Bosch boasts of over 240 million contacts with customers each year.

BOSCH MESSAGING

• To market itself, Bosch uses the messaging "invented for life" across its platforms.

HOW BRAND WINS CUSTOMER TRUST:

• To win customer trust, Bosch claims it offers unique competence as well as outstanding quality at reasonably competitive prices.
• Bosch claims to provide parts and services covering everything a car needs. Bosch operates an auto parts warehouse which makes the shopping experience much more comfortable.
• The website of Bosch is accessible for 24 hours daily, seven days a week so that customers can request for an extensive range of parts anytime and almost from anywhere within America. Customers can always trust to get a complete variety of aftermarket automotive devices from Bosch warehouse.
• Bosch customers get value for their money and are guaranteed to get parts and services designed to ensure their automobiles perform like brand new ones. The company produces spare parts with high specifications in mind while engineering such parts to offer an improved performance that makes a repaired vehicle function more efficiently at any given time.
• Bosch is trusted to be a leading manufacturer of quality parts. With a complete line made up of "aftermarket automotive devices," Bosch claims it can be trusted to address all automobile "replacement needs."
• Bosch customers get the assurance that they never have to spend excessive time shopping around from one auto parts dealer to another to find all their needed components as Bosch has got all their "needs covered!."

EVIDENCE OF CUSTOMER TRUST IN BRAND:

• Among several dozens of brand (about 26 brands), Bosch recently ranked the best aftermarket car part brand following a 2019 Ranker web rating. This review reflects the customer and public perception of the brand.

• In another 2019 rating by the Ranker web (automotive performance for accessory brands), Bosch recently ranked the second best auto performance brand among 16 brands. This review also reflects the customer and public perception of the brand.

2. BRAND: O'Reilly Auto Parts

• O'Reilly Auto Parts provides a wide range of auto products that ship directly to customer homes. O'Reilly has over 60 years of auto parts dealer experience and operates thousands of locations to guarantee convenience.

O'Reilly Messaging:

• To market itself, O'Reilly uses a tree logo and always end its company name with "Auto Parts" across its platforms.

HOW BRAND WINS CUSTOMER TRUST:

• To gain customer trust, O'Reilly helps in scanning customer car codes free of charge, discuss repair solutions with customers, and goes as far as helping to find a nearby technician when needed.
• O'Reilly Auto Parts utilizes a problem-resolution and communication strategy. This strategy encourages vehicle owners to engage in regular maintenance activities for their vehicles thereby protecting their "long-term automotive investment" and making O’Reilly become a trusted partner for their auto parts needs.
• Every day, members of the O'Reilly Auto Parts store recognize that they have an opportunity to win a customer at a time, as they provide expert and friendly services required to keep such customers coming back.
• O'Reilly customers are confident to buy from a broad selection of parts at competitive prices. The dedicated professional services offered by specialists in O'Reilly stores help speed up multiple, daily deliveries to improve customer experience.
• O'Reilly provides trade credit for some qualified accounts to boost trust from such customers. O'Reilly claims customers trust it to accepts returned products and issues new ones based on warranty/defective products agreements.
• The superior in-store service provided through highly-motivated and technically-proficient personnel helps in boosting customer confidence in O'Reilly.
• The customers of O'Reilly can trust to shop from an extensive selection of products highly available. O'Reilly has attractive stores strategically positioned in convenient locations and offer competitive prices, supported by "a good, better, best product" assortment. Such differentiated products are designed to meet different customer quality or value preferences and prove that price portrays quality with O'Reilly.

EVIDENCE OF CUSTOMER TRUST IN BRAND:

• O'Reilly Auto Parts has been rated 5-star among 65 community reviews. The company has a cumulative rating of 4.3 on a scale of 5.

3. BRAND: LKQ Corporation

• LKQ is one among the global leaders to provide alternative replacement automobile parts. The company has offices in several parts of the world including America and Europe.

LKQ MESSAGING

• To market itself, LKQ uses a sketched car logo and the messaging "Any Part. Any Repair. Any where" on its website. LKQ also uses the messaging "OEM Recycled. Aftermarket by Keystone." on its Facebook and Twitter page.

HOW BRAND WINS CUSTOMER TRUST:

• LKQ is known to champion the automotive replacement sector with industry-leading warranties. To win customer trust, LKQ has promises that set the bar in providing consumers ease of mind after purchase. The company offers a free six-month per 6,000-mile warranty for all light-duty mechanical parts that of recycled origin purchased from any LKQ branded location.
• LKQ has a part's replacement promise program for recycled, re-manufactured, reconditioned, rebuilt, heavy truck, aftermarket, and self-service parts.
• LKQ promises its customers that they accept purchased parts that are returned unaltered, in resealable condition, invoice, and original packaging. However, any package return that occurs 30 days after the invoice date is subject to a 20% handling and restocking fee.
• LKQ has different return policies aimed at winning customer trust. The company promises its customers that items/services covered in its warranty policies include: Aftermarket parts, re manufactured auto transmission parts, climate control units, HD climate control system, fuel delivery products, heavy-duty truck replacement part, re-manufactured manual transmission system, re-manufactured rear axle, reconditioned wheels, recycled mechanical parts, etc.

EVIDENCE OF CUSTOMER TRUST IN BRAND:

• LKQ Corporation has about 12,286 likes on Facebook which reflects a certain level of trust customers has in the brand.
• The Facebook web page of "LKQ Pick Your Part" is rated 3.3 on a scale of 5. This rating is considered high going by the revelation by a C-Space publication that the automotive industry currently has trust issues.

YOUR RESEARCH TEAM EMPLOYED THE FOLLOWING STRATEGY