Most Trusted Brands in Romania 2025

During an event dedicated to their clients, Kantar Romania launched “The Trust Factor—Building Brands That Endure Uncertainty,” the top 20 brands that inspire the most tremendous confidence among Romanian consumers, based on the analysis of 162 brands from 12 sectors.

In a period marked by uncertainty and skepticism, trust becomes essential in the relationship between brands and consumers. Digital marketing specialists tell us how to build a successful brand, but who are the champions in Romania from this perspective?

Most trusted brands in Romania according to the Kantar study

During the event “The Trust Factor—Building Brands That Endure Uncertainty,” Kantar Romania presented the top 20 most trusted brands according to consumers’ perceptions.

Kantar BrandZ Romania—Ranking of the top 20 brands* according to the trust they inspire in Romanian consumers, brands measured between 2022 and 2025.

Glovo ranked first, registering the highest trust index (146) of all the 162 brands evaluated by BrandZ in Romania, significantly above the market average (100).

The analysis of the Top 20 ranking reveals some key trends in Romanians’ preferences:

• The dominance of delivery platforms and retailers: Their massive presence underlines how much Romanians value convenience and brands that simplify their lives.
• Performers in traditionally low-trust sectors: Even in challenging categories like OTCs or spirits, brands like Nurofen and Jack Daniel’s manage to gain consumer trust.
• The power of global quality brands: Established brands such as Samsung are at the top, confirming the importance of perceived quality.
• The success of local brands: Borsec and eMAG proves that local brands with a solid history and reputation can build a strong relationship of trust.
• Innovation in banking: Innovative solutions like Revolut are gaining ground alongside traditional banks, which are known for their integrity.

In contrast, the utilities and hair care sectors did not have representatives at the top of the trust. The barriers identified include:

• Utilities: The uncertainty generated by sector liberalization, discussions about capping and prices, and the complexity of services.
• Hair care: The sheer number of options, communication that idealizes results, variable efficacy, and growing demand for natural ingredients.

The challenges of the post-truth era in trust

The event started with an analysis of the current context by Carmen Pătrașcu, Managing Director of Kantar Romania. It highlighted the challenges of a world dominated by misinformation and skepticism: we live in a world where fabricated stories spread rapidly, fueled by algorithms and our own biases. Manipulated images, masterfully woven fake news – they erode trust, produce division and make us question everything.

Welcome to the post-truth era! A world in which, more often than not, faith weighs more than evidence. When people struggle to distinguish fact from fiction, when they don’t have access to clear, easy-to-understand scientific information, fear can take root. As shown by Romanians (editor’s note: according to the latest Eurobarometer, Romanians doubt science the most), this scepticism towards science hinders progress. It can impact people’s decisions, e.g. about their health, stifle innovation and the adoption of new products.

In an age when objective facts and truth have less influence on the formation of public opinion, less than emotional appeals and personal or group beliefs – this question therefore arises more and more: how do we build trust?

Carmen Pătrașcu, Managing Director of Kantar Romania

How to build and measure trust

Mary Kyriakidi, Global Thought Leader at Kantar and special guest of the event, presented the “3i” model as a tool for building trust:

1. Integrity: Do what you promise and provide adequate compensation when problems arise.
2. Identification is establishing a connection on a human, emotional level—essential in uncertain times when people rely more on emotions.
3. Inclusion: making the consumer feel part of the brand’s community, equal and valued, activating the primordial feeling of trust in the group.

Witnessing the warmth and enthusiasm in the room helped us to bring Kantar’s 3 ‘i’s of Brand Trust vividly to life. It’s a powerful reminder that trust isn’t just theoretical; it’s deeply human. When we talk about Integrity, Identification, and Inclusion, we’re talking about creating the very kind of genuine connection and receptive environment we experienced together during the entire session. This engagement underscores how vital these elements are, not just for brands connecting with consumers, but for us marketers connecting with each other around shared challenges and insights.

Mary Kyriakidi highlighting the model’s resonance with the event attendees’ experience.

The impact of trust on the purchase decision

Kantar’s global studies show that trust is hard to earn: only 1 in 4 consumers worldwide say they trust brands.

Although this level of trust may seem modest, it tells us an essential story about trust: it is not built overnight; It is gained gradually, percentage by percentage, through consistent quality, authentic stories, and sincere brand engagement. In a world where trust is becoming increasingly scarce, brands that manage to earn it are in an advantageous position. They not only strengthen their reputation but also become the preferred choice of consumers, thus simplifying the decision-making process

Madalin Vladu, Senior Director, Brand & Sustainability Lead at Kantar Romania

The level of trust varies significantly between countries (e.g. 33% in Mexico vs. 18% in Italy). In Romania, the average level of 23% (based on the 162 brands analyzed) is close to the global average, but underlines the importance of adapting strategies to local specificity.

Moreover, Kantar’s analyses revealed a strong correlation (R²=0.6) between a brand’s trust level and Romanian consumers’ predisposition to choose it. A trusted brand has a significantly higher chance of ending up in the shopping cart.

But as hard as it is to build, trust can be easily destroyed. An example is how Romanians perceive what brands do and communicate regarding sustainability. Eight out of 10 Romanians believe that brands only pursue profit when they talk about sustainability, and one out of two feel that brands communicate falsely or misleadingly about sustainability, i.e., they are greenwashing. This skepticism is not just a passive attitude; it directly influences purchasing decisions, especially among consumers who behave sustainably.

The study confirms this: brands Romanians perceive as innovative generate 27% more trust than those perceived as less innovative. Thus, innovation amplifies the positive effect of trust on purchase intention. 

Just like people, brands have a life cycle: they are born, they grow, they grow old and sometimes they get tired. To keep up, they need to innovate and evolve. New brands need to innovate to stand out and enter the market – i.e. to predispose more people – and established brands to revitalize or expand – i.e. to find a space, a new source for growth.

Anca Vlad, Account Director, Innovation Lead at Kantar Romania.

Practical insights on trust from industry leaders

The event culminated with a dynamic discussion moderated by Andreea Dîrzu, Account Director, Brand & Creative at Kantar Romania. Marketing leaders from top-tier brands shared their practical experiences on integrating trust into daily operations:

• Cristina Miclea, Marketing Director, Lactalis Romania
• Diana Mihai, Director of Marketing, Communication and Brand Experience, ING Romania
• Narcis Horhoianu, Chief Marketing Officer & E-commerce, Carrefour Romania
• Tudor David, Marketing Director, Farmec

The panel’s valuable conclusions about translating the concept of trust into tangible business strategies, from communication and customer service to organizational culture, were shared with the audience.

The ranking of the most trusted brands in Romania was compiled using the same approach Kantar uses to compile the BrandZ ranking of the 100 most valuable brands globally every year.

Kantar is the world’s leading marketing data and analytics business and an indispensable brand partner to the world’s top companies. We combine the most meaningful attitudinal and behavioural data with deep expertise and advanced analytics to uncover how people think and act. We help clients understand what has happened, why, and how to shape the marketing strategies that shape their future.