Recognizing Quality Through Consumer Insight

The QUDAL - Quality Medal is an international certification awarded to products, services, and brands that consumers associate with the highest level of perceived quality in their respective categories.

Administered by ICERTIAS, a politically independent, Swiss-based research organisation, the QUDAL - Quality Medal helps guide consumer decisions and encourages businesses to deliver consistently high-quality experiences.

Grounded in perception-based market research, the certification reflects how consumers actually experience quality, rather than internal assessment or expert judgment.

Origins and Development

First launched in 2011, the QUDAL - Quality Medal was developed to elevate consumer perception as a defining factor in recognising quality. It represented a shift from expert-driven awards to a transparent, survey-based certification model. Since its inception, the QUDAL - Quality Medal has expanded across markets and industries while remaining focused on its core purpose: to empower consumers and reward brands that consistently meet or exceed expectations as experienced by real users.

Methodology

The QUDAL - Quality Medal selection process is based on ICERTIAS’s proprietary methodology, combining CAWI (Computer-Assisted Web Interviewing) with open-ended, unprompted questioning. Respondents are asked to name the brands or providers they personally associate with the highest perceived quality in specific categories. Brands most frequently mentioned receive the QUDAL - Quality Medal certification. Companies cannot apply or influence the results. Each awarded brand is assigned a digital certificate code, publicly accessible and traceable, offering transparency into the category, methodology, and scope.

Market Impact

The QUDAL - Quality Medal highlights brands that stand out in perceived quality, based on independent consumer insight. For businesses, this recognition offers externally validated confirmation of how they are experienced in the market, helping build trust, strengthen positioning, and differentiate offerings. For consumers, the QUDAL - Quality Medal simplifies decision-making by identifying which brands people most often associate with quality. On a broader scale, it supports a more transparent, feedback-based marketplace where consumer experience drives market standards and expectations.

Recognition and Design

The QUDAL - Quality Medal seal is designed for clear visibility and easy verification. It serves as a trusted signal of consumer-rated quality. Each seal is linked to a verified certificate and corresponds to a specific market and category. The QUDAL - Quality Medal does not assess environmental impact, ESG performance, or sustainability-related attributes. It should not be interpreted as a green, social, or ethical certification. It stands purely for quality as recognised by people through real-world use and experience.