It's a matter of trust: seven simple questions all brands should ask themselves.

Reader's Digest recently released the results of their annual 'Trusted Brands Australia' survey. For the 20th year in a row, the publication approached ordinary consumers to find out which international and Australian brands they most use and admire.

Unsurprisingly, the winners were all seasoned household brands that have emphatically captured the hearts and minds of Australian consumers for many years. Here are some of the highlights:

~ Paint brand: Dulux (honorable mentions to Taubmans and Wattyl)

~ Confectionery brand: Cadbury (kudos to Lindt and Darrell Lea)

~ Charity brand: Cancer Council (followed closely by Guide Dogs Australia and RSPCA)

~ Bank brand: Bendigo Bank (highly commended to ING Direct and Commonwealth Bank)

~ Australian iconic brand: Vegemite (with Sanitarium and Arnott's rounding out the top 3)

~ Property Developers: Stockland (in good company with AV Jennings and LendLease)

~ Retailers (non-supermarket): Bunnings (followed by Kmart and JB Hi Fi)

Congratulations to all winners. It's no mean feat to be deemed 'trustworthy' in this highly competitive and at times, skeptical consumer-led world.

So, what makes these brands so consistently trustworthy in the eyes of the average Australian consumer? If only there was a short, sharp list of 'brand trustworthiness' questions you could ask yourself...here's one I prepared earlier.

Pop Up Marketer Brand Trustworthiness Checklist:

1. How transparent are you with your customers? Share what you do and why you do it. Be overt with your values and demonstrate them daily. Especially if your audience is largely made up of Millennial consumers. They'll be the most likely segment to hold you accountable for your values and actions.

2. How often do you answer questions? There are more opportunities than ever before for your customers to contact you directly; in-store, via email, via socials...the list is endless. Your customers need their questions answered. And you need to show them that you're truly listening.

3. What do you truly value? Research suggests that consumers are far more likely to purchase from brands whose values reflect their own. If your core values are consistently communicated and unwavering, consumers are far more likely to trust you over others.

4. What is your brand personality and do you demonstrate it consistently? If your brand voice and personality shifts gears more regularly than Steve McQueen in The Great Escape, your customers won't be able to keep up and their trust in your brand will diminish. Consistency is critical to building and sustaining long-lasting relationships with your customers.

5. When was the last time you told a really good yarn? Sincere and authentic storytelling (steeped in truth) can build lasting and meaningful connections between your brand and your audience; especially if your stories have the people behind the brand at their heart. Tell 'em, don't sell to 'em.

6. How competent are you? It's critical to convey competence and credibility in every aspect of your business. Nobody wants to purchase products or services from a brand that appears ambiguous or unsure of its place in the world.

7. When was the last time you made a mistake? We all make them. Daily. Hourly. It's what makes us human. And hopefully, owning up to our mistakes helps us take responsibility and improve for the future. The same philosophy applies to brands. If you muck up a print ad or there's a stock-counting error on your eCommerce sight, the world is not going to end; it will however, plant seeds of doubt in the minds of your customers if you don't lead from the front and own your mistakes. Show you're vulnerable enough to say, "mea culpa" and then take steps to rectify it.

In short, the best way to build trust in the long term is to practice the above sincerely, consciously and consistently from the get-go. Trust me, I'm a marketer.