San Marino has solidified its reputation as the most trusted corned tuna brand in the Philippines when it won the Gold Award in the recent Readers’ Digest 2015 Trusted Brand Awards.
The Gold Award was also bestowed on San Marino Corned Tuna in 2011 and 2012 by the prestigious international publication. The citation represents a “seal of approval,” a vote of trust and confidence from consumers,” according to the Readers’ Digest July 2015 issue.
The accolade was based on the votes from 5,000 respondents in Asia, who were asked to name their most trusted brand in each of the more than 40 product categories according to six general criteria.
These criteria include trustworthiness and credibility, quality, value, understanding of customer needs, innovativeness and social responsibility.
“The popular brand, earned gold points for its trustworthiness and credibility, being a product introduced in the market by Foodsphere Inc., a company with 40 years of solid experience in food manufacturing,” according to Pilar De Guzman, Category Brand manager.
The product boasts of its high quality being manufactured in one of the most modern manufacturing plants in Asia.
“Quality marks the production cycle of San Marino corned tuna, from raw materials selection to processing using state-of-the-art technology to logistics, distribution and marketing,” de Guzman said.
“Through this product, we offer the best value for money to the Filipino consumers, which is the key to building consumer loyalty across income classes,” she said.
Foodsphere introduced the product in the market in September 2009 based on thorough understanding of the needs of the Filipino consumers, achieved through stringent research and consumer insights gathering and analytical R&D works.
“Moreover, the food company invested much in technology to come up with a revolutionary product offer that changed the landscape of the canned tuna industry. Combining the delicious taste of corned beef and the healthy benefits of tuna, San Marino Corned Tuna emerged as one of the most innovative product in the market,” de Guzman added.
Because of its innovativeness, it gained consumer acceptance in a short period despite the presence of aggressive competitors. The brand became a market leader after several months, and was the No. 1 corned tuna product in the Philippines in terms of sales according to a study conducted by research company AC Nielsen.
In terms of corporate social responsibility, Foodsphere, through its humanitarian arm Odyssey Foundation Inc., undertakes various health and nutrition program across the country. A part of the profits earned by San Marino goes to a fund a supplemental feeding program managed by the Foundation for undernourished children.
“This is just one of the many activities that showcases the company’s deep sense of social responsibility. Aside from its humanitarian missions, the company is committed to providing the Filipino people with innovative, healthy and affordable food products and help the government in ensuring food security in the country,” he said.
“It is our responsibility to provide Filipino consumers with the best product in the market without sacrificing quality and ensure that they have access to best-value food products,” de Guzman said.
Readers’ Digest consumer poll is an annual consumer research-based project which aims to recognize brands that have become the benchmark for product excellence and consumer service.
Readers’ Digest has conducted the Trusted Brands survey for 17 consecutive years in China, Hong Kong, India, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, and Thailand.