Del Monte likewise points to a knack for staying on top of trends as an element of success. The preferred choice in Grocery and Canned Goods has a low-key marketing approach based on the power of its labels, which provide a familiar logo and recipes on the back.

"We continue to update our product line and bring people new ideas for how to use our products," said Irvin Holmes, senior vp of marketing. "With Del Monte, the image is one of trust, reliability and relevancy."

That trust is taken to the highest level for Scotts, the brand leader in Lawn & Garden Supplies. The Scott Company, which also has the brands Miracle-Gro, Ortho and Roundup, positions itself as a trusted lawn and garden information resource. Through its Web site, a 1-800 telephone number, direct mail, advertising and in-store marketing materials and programs, Scotts helps consumers tackle gardening problems of all types.

Domestics product kingpin Cannon, whose founder launched one of first consumer brands by sewing a label on towels emblazoned appropriately with a cannon, has followed many of the strategies outlined by top brand companies. Fieldcrest-Cannon, a division of Pillowtex Corporation, enjoys a strong association with towels through a series of smart moves that go beyond its familiar logo, however. The company was a large supplier to the military during war efforts and also has been a core product in the institutional community, seen widely at hotels around the country.

In the end, what makes for powerful name recognition is a combination of longtime delivery of quality products with mass appeal, constant innovation, consistency of message and an ability to extend one's brand.

Tips from the Top Brands

Building a brand takes foresight, a commitment to understanding the customer and consistent delivery of quality products. Success typically doesn't happen overnight, but takes years of careful nurturing and marketing that reminds consumers why the brand stands out. Newcomers aspiring to the ranks of Top Brands such as Kodak, Hanes and Microsoft might heed the wisdom of strategies that have made these brands and others household names.

Tips to success from representatives of companies with Top Brands in the DSN Retailing Today Top Brands study ranged from simple guidelines such as staying in touch with a customer's needs to resisting the temptation to make drastic changes to a logo. What follows are a few of the strategies that have led to longtime prosperity for some of the largest consumer brands in the world.

Determine what your brand message will be and stick with it. Whether the promise is to be the information resource for lawn and garden needs or to offer high-quality contemporary products at affordable prices, don't confuse consumers by shifting the message midstream.

"You've got to have a vision of the product, what the product's all about. How will it uniquely satisfy consumer needs, whether in a broad or narrow way," said James Postl, ceo of Pennzoil-Quaker State.

That doesn't necessarily mean running the same advertisement year in and year out. While the core beliefs in the brand must remain consistent, they still can be told in fresh new ways, said Kerry Bierman, vp of corporate communications for The Scott Company.

Once a strategy is established, the brand must consistently deliver products that fulfill the promise. Any decline in quality or venturing too far afield from the brand's core is likely to alienate consumers.

"If you say you've got a comfortable-fitting panty, it's got to be comfortable. That's really the hallmark of developing trust with your consumer," said Bob Scott, director of marketing for Hanes and Hanes Her Way brand products.

Know your customer intimately and become an expert at predicting new trends. Hallmark market tests each new greeting card to make sure the words are relevant to consumers' lives, and also conducts research to forecast social changes and events.

Scotts keeps in close touch with consumers as well, using customer feedback to grow the market for lawn-care products. The Internet, in particular, has enabled Scotts to gather information on a personalized level. Through data gained via e-mails and calls to its 1-800 phone number, Scotts is able to tailor marketing messages to specific gardening problems in geographic areas.

Stay true to the product's heritage, resisting temptation to overhaul an effective logo or tagline. Many company representatives said their brand logo is their strongest asset, and one that shouldn't be radically changed. Cannon's labels that appropriately depict a cannon on its towels, sheets and other domestic products haven't changed much in the past century.

"The logo has changed slightly, but not dramatically. The typeface and artillery piece are essentially still the same," said Bob Hamilton, vp of advertising for Fieldcrest-Cannon, a division of Pillowtex Corporation.

"When something isn't broken, you just make small changes slowly," added Gordon Hecker, senior vp of marketing for Scotts.

Try to stay ahead of the pack, pushing the envelope in product innovation and technology. Eastman Kodak Company didn't let the advent of digital cameras destroy its film business, but embraced this new technology on all fronts. The company is now a large seller of digital cameras as well as photo paper and services offering Web-based digital prints.

Expand the brand through acquisition, diversification or line extensions. Neither Coke and Pepsi are content with solely selling their respective top-selling colas, but have gotten into other rising beverage niches such as bottled water, tea and coffee drinks. And Mattel may be the best example of how a company has gained by gathering together multiple toy brands under one umbrella, taking care to keep each line distinct with its own message and personality.

"One of the attributes of a strong brand is elasticity, to be able to stretch into new product categories," said Denise Lee Yohn, director of corporation branding and consumer planning for Sony.

Brad Hunsaker, vp and general manager of the mass channel for Kodak, cautioned that a company can't simply slap its name on a "me-too" product and expect success. The new product must deliver the same attributes customers expect from the core brand, with some feature that sets it apart from the rest.

Remind consumers of the brand name constantly, whether through extensive advertising or effective labeling strategies. Some companies spend millions on national advertising, such as Kodak, Scotts, Pepsi and Coke, while others invest in more subtle marketing approaches such as Del Monte's labels on its canned goods that each feature a new recipe.

With consumers bombarded by so many media messages, those interviewed admitted it's more difficult today to establish a national brand.

"You can't build a brand overnight. You build a brand by talking to people day in and day out," said Bierman of Scotts. "The consumer will find a way of branding and identifying superior products, and ultimately they'll make the determination if that brand is the winner."