This document summarizes the results of the 2015 Edelman Trust Barometer, which measures trust in institutions and companies globally. Some key findings include:
- Trust declined across all institutions (government, business, NGOs, and media) between 2014 and 2015 for both informed publics and the general population.
- Digital media like search engines, social media, and hybrid media are now more trusted sources of news than traditional media like television and newspapers.
- Friends/family and experts are the most trusted sources of information on social media and online sites, while brands and celebrities are the least trusted.
- Trust in government is below 50% in 19 of 27 countries surveyed. Half of countries surveyed
2. 2
EDELMAN’S 15th Annual
TRUST BAROMETER METHODOLOGY
Informed Public
• 500 respondents in U.S.
and China, and 200 in
other countries
• Ages 25-64
• College-educated
• In top 25% of household
income per age group in
each country
• Report significant media
consumption and
engagement in business
news and public policy
• 15 years of data
General Online Population
• 1,000 respondents per
country surveyed
• Ages 18+
• 4 years in 25+ markets
Online Survey in 27 Countries
• 33,000 respondents
• 7 years in 20+ markets
• 10 years in 10+ markets
3. 3
2015 TRUST IS ESSENTIAL TO INNOVATION
2014 BUSINESS TO LEAD THE DEBATE FOR CHANGE
2013 CRISIS OF LEADERSHIP
2012 FALL OF GOVERNMENT
2011 RISE OF AUTHORITY FIGURES
2010 TRUST IS NOW AN ESSENTIAL LINE OF BUSINESS
2009 BUSINESS MUST PARTNER WITH GOVERNMENT TO REGAIN TRUST
2008 YOUNG INFLUENCERS HAVE MORE TRUST IN BUSINESS
2007 BUSINESS MORE TRUSTED THAN GOVERNMENT AND MEDIA
2006 “A PERSON LIKE ME” EMERGES AS CREDIBLE SPOKESPERSON
2005 TRUST SHIFTS FROM “AUTHORITIES” TO PEERS
2004 U.S. COMPANIES IN EUROPE SUFFER TRUST DISCOUNT
2003 EARNED MEDIA MORE CREDIBLE THAN ADVERTISING
2002 FALL OF THE CELEBRITY CEO
2001 RISING INFLUENCE OF NGOS
TRUST IN RETROSPECT
5. 5
TRUST IN THE FOUR INSTITUTIONS OF GOVERNMENT, BUSINESS, MEDIA AND NGOS, 2014 VS. 2015
Q11-14. [TRACKING] Below is a list of institutions. For each one, please indicate how much you trust that
institution to do what is right using a nine-point scale, where one means that you “do not trust them at all” and nine
means that you “trust them a great deal.” (Top 4 Box, Trust) Informed Publics in 27-country global total.
THE EVAPORATION OF TRUST:
NGOS, BUSINESS, MEDIA ALL DECLINE
BUSINESS
66% 63%
2014 2015
#1
53% 51%
2014 2015
#3
59%
57%
2014 2015
#2
45% 48%
2014 2015
#4 GOVERNMENTMEDIA
NGOS
Informed
Public
6. 6
China 79
UAE 79
Singapore 73
Indonesia 72
India 69
Malaysia 65
Canada 60
Netherlands 60Hong Kong 59
Mexico 59
Australia 58
Brazil 57
Germany 57
Argentina 53
U.K. 52
S. Korea 51
Sweden 51
S. Africa 50
U.S. 49
France 46
Japan 44
Italy 43
Turkey 41
Ireland 39
Spain 39
Russia 37
Poland 35
NUMBER OF TRUSTER
COUNTRIES AT AN
ALL-TIME LOW
THE TRUST
INDEX:
TRUSTERSNEUTRALDISTRUSTERS
2014
TRUSTERS
from 30% to
22% in 2015
GLOBAL 56
Italy 48
S. Africa 48
Hong Kong 47
S. Korea 47
U.K. 46
Argentina 45
Poland 45
Russia 45
Spain 45
Sweden 45
Turkey 40
Ireland 37
Japan 37
2015
UAE 84
India 79
Indonesia 78
China 75
Singapore 65
Netherlands 64Brazil 59
Mexico 59
Malaysia 56
Canada 53
Australia 52
France 52
U.S. 52
Germany 50
GLOBAL 55
DISTRUSTERS
from 33% to
48% in 2015
The Trust Index is an average of a country’s trust in
the institutions of government, business, media and
NGOs.
27-country global total.
Informed
Public
#7
#12
7. 7
DEFICIT NEARLY 10
POINTS LOWER AMONG
GENERAL POPULATION,
WITH AN AVERAGE 3
POINT DECREASE IN
TRUST ACROSS ALL
COUNTRIES
THE NEW
TRUST
DEFICIT:
TRUSTERSNEUTRALDISTRUSTERS
2015
GLOBAL 55
2015
GLOBAL 46
Italy 48
S. Africa 48
Hong Kong 47
S. Korea 47
U.K. 46
Argentina 45
Poland 45
Russia 45
Spain 45
Sweden 45
Turkey 40
Ireland 37
Japan 37
UAE 84
India 79
Indonesia 78
China 75
Singapore 65
Netherlands 64
Brazil 59
Mexico 59
Malaysia 56
Canada 53
Australia 52
France 52
U.S. 52
Germany 50
India 68
UAE 68
Indonesia 67
China 63
Singapore 60
Malaysia 53
Canada 52
Netherlands 52
Mexico 51
Brazil 50
Hong Kong 47
U.S. 44
Argentina 43
Australia 42
Germany 42
Italy 42
S. Africa 42
Russia 40
U.K. 39
France 38
S. Korea 38
Sweden 37
Poland 36
Spain 36
Turkey 35
Japan 34
Ireland 32
Nearly 2/3
of countries are
now
DISTRUSTERS
among the General
Online Population
Informed
Public
General
Population
The Trust Index is an average of a country’s trust in
the institutions of government, business, media and
NGOs.
27-country global total.
#7
#10
8. 8
Lower/Equal Trust in 19 CountriesIncreased Trust in 8 Countries
50%
TRUST IN NGOS, 2014 VS. 2015
Q11-14. [NGOs IN GENERAL] Below is a list of institutions. For each one, please indicate how much you trust that
institution to do what is right using a nine-point scale where one means that you “do not trust them at all” and nine
means that you “trust them a great deal.“ (Top 4 Box, Trust) Informed Publics, 27-country global total.
TRUST IN NGOS:
STILL MOST TRUSTED BUT NOW WANING
2014 2015
Informed
Public
% Trust
66
76
73
64
62 61 62
59
47
75 74
84
76 76
70
75
67
70
77
67 66
69
58
67
58
41
47
37
63
81
77
71 70
65 64 63
58
74 73 72 71 71
68 67 67 66
63 62 61
59
57
51
48
38 37
29
#9
9. 9
Lower/Equal Trust in 15 CountriesIncreased Trust in 12 Countries
50%
TRUST IN MEDIA, 2014 VS. 2015
TRUST IN MEDIA:
60% OF COUNTRIES DISTRUST MEDIA
2014 2015
Informed
Public
Q11-14. [MEDIA IN GENERAL] Below is a list of institutions. For each one, please indicate how much you trust
that institution to do what is right using a nine-point scale where one means that you “do not trust them at all” and
nine means that you “trust them a great deal.” (Top 4 Box, Trust) Informed Publics, 27-country global total.
% Trust
53
78
70 71
60
45
48
40 40
35
42
30
19
79
70
61
63
55
58 59
54
48
63
54
41
44
37
40
51
80 79
76
62
51 50
48 47
44 43 42
20
77
59 57 56
52
47 46 45 43 41 40
38
34 34
31
#8
10. 10
67%
63%
65%
62%
52%
50%
53%
53%
45%
43%
45%
48%
62%
60%
63%
64%
43% 42%
44%
47%
2012 2013 2014 2015
Q178-182. When looking for general news and information, how much would you trust each type of source for
general news and information? Please use a nine-point scale where one means that you “do not trust it at all” and
nine means that you “trust it a great deal.” (Top 4 Box, Trust) Informed Publics, 20-country global total.
TRUST IN EACH SOURCE FOR GENERAL NEWS AND INFORMATION
MEDIA SOURCES:
SEARCH ENGINES NOW MOST TRUSTED
Online Search Engines 72% (+8)
Traditional Media 64% (+2)
Hybrid Media 63% (+10)
Social Media 59% (+11)
Owned Media 57% (+10)
Informed
Public
Millennials Are Even More
Trusting of Digital Media
11. 11
TRUST IN INFORMATION ABOUT BUSINESS CREATED BY EACH AUTHOR ON SOCIAL NETWORKING SITES,
CONTENT SHARING SITES AND ONLINE-ONLY INFORMATION SOURCES
MEDIA SOURCES:
SEARCH ENGINES NOW USED FIRST AND MOST
Informed
Public
TELEVISIONNEWSPAPERS ONLINE SEARCH
25%
25%
21%
24%
22%
22%
25%
29%
31%
2013 2014 2015
20%
19%
18%
28%
27% 27%
26%
27% 27%
2013 2014 2015
19% 19%
18%
22%
20% 20%
34%
36%
37%
2013 2014 2015
The First Source for
General Information
The First Source for
Breaking News
Source Used Most to
Confirm/Validate News
Q183. On a typical day, what is the first source that you go to for general information about business? Informed
Publics, 20-country global total.
Q184. What is the first source you go to for breaking news about business? Informed Publics, 20-country global
total.
Q185. Which of the following sources do you turn to MOST often to confirm/validate information on breaking news
about business? Informed Publics, 20-country global total.
12. 12
Q387-396. Thinking about the information you consume on social networking sites, such as Facebook, MySpace, LinkedIn,
Meebo, Orkut, Qzone, RenRen, how much do you trust the information posted from each of the following authors or content
creators? (Top 4 Box, Trust) Informed Publics, 27-country global total. | Q397-406. Thinking about the information you
consume on content sharing sites, such as YouTube, how much do you trust the information posted from each of the
following authors or content creators? Informed Publics, 27-country global total. | Q407-415. Thinking about the information
you consume on online-only news and information sources, such as The Huffington Post, Buzzfeed, TechCrunch, etc., how
much do you trust the information posted from each of the following authors or content creators? Informed Publics, 27-
country global total.
32%
34%
40%
45%
46%
52%
53%
60%
70%
72%
Brands I don’t use
Celebrities
Elected officials
A well-known online personality
A company CEO
Employees of a company
A journalist
Companies I use
An academic expert
My friends and family
Informed
Public
TRUST IN INFORMATION CREATED BY EACH AUTHOR ON SOCIAL NETWORKING SITES,
CONTENT SHARING SITES AND ONLINE-ONLY INFORMATION SOURCES
CONTENT CREATORS:
FRIENDS/FAMILY AND EXPERTS
ARE MOST TRUSTED
TRUSTED
NEUTRAL
DISTRUSTED
13. 13
Lower Trust in 11 CountriesIncreased Trust in 16 Countries
% Trust
50%
TRUST IN GOVERNMENT, 2014 VS. 2015
Q11-14. [GOVERNMENT IN GENERAL] Below is a list of institutions. For each one, please indicate how much
you trust that institution to do what is right using a nine-point scale where one means that you “do not trust them
at all” and nine means that you “trust them a great deal.” (Top 4 Box, Trust) Informed Publics, 27-country global
total.
TRUST IN GOVERNMENT:
19 OF 27 COUNTRIES DISTRUST GOVERNMENT
Informed
Public
2014 2015
45
88
53
76
53
60
27
49
42
32
37
34
28
19
24
18
21
75
63
56
51
54
45
43
45 45
23
17
48
90
82 82
72
65
54
50
43 42 41
37
33
30 28 26 26
70
59
49 49
45
42 41 40
33
21
16
#19
14. 14
Lower Trust in 16 CountriesIncreased Trust in 11 Countries
% Trust
50%
TRUST IN BUSINESS, 2014 VS. 2015
Q11-14. [BUSINESS IN GENERAL] Below is a list of institutions. For each one, please indicate how much you
trust that institution to do what is right using a nine-point scale where one means that you “do not trust them at
all” and nine means that you “trust them a great deal.” (Top 4 Box, Trust) Informed Publics, 27-country global total.
TRUST IN BUSINESS:
HALF BELOW 50%
Informed
Public
2014 2015
59
82 82
79
70
54
63
58
45 45
43
38
73
77
72 71
56
51
59
53
62
58 57
45
49
43
41
39
57
85 84 84
73
66
64
60
53
48
45 43
72 70
67
61
52
49 48 48 47 46 45 45
42 41
38 36
#5
15. 15
FOUR KEY FACTORS
AFFECT TRUST IN BUSINESS
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN
INDUSTRY SECTOR
LEADERSHIP
ENTERPRISE TYPE
BUSINESS
All are showing similar patterns of a post-recovery increase in trust,
followed by new declines in the last 12 – 18 months
16. 16
50%
80%
77%
72%
66% 67% 66%
63% 64%
61% 61% 61%
57%
53% 54% 52%
78%
75%
71%
67% 67% 66%
63% 63% 61% 60% 60%
57%
54% 53% 51%
TRUST IN INDUSTRIES 2014 VS 2015, DECLINES COMPARED TO 2014
INDUSTRY SECTORS:
TECHNOLOGY-BASED INDUSTRIES DECLINE
Informed
Public
Q43-60. [TRACKING] Please indicate how much you trust businesses in each of the following industries to do
what is right. Again please use the same nine-point scale where one means that you “do not trust them at all” and
nine means that you “trust them a great deal.” (Top 4 Box, Trust) Informed Publics, 27-country global total.
2014 2015
More Trust Less Trust
70% 74% 67%
*% of countries in which trust decreased
* * *
17. 17
50%
76% 75% 75% 74%
70% 69% 68% 65% 62%
51% 51% 50%
38% 36% 35% 34% 31%
TRUST IN COMPANIES HEADQUARTERED IN THE FOLLOWING COUNTRIES
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN:
BRIC COUNTRIES REMAIN DISTRUSTED
Most Trusted
Informed
Public
Q26-Q42. [TRACKING] Now we would like to focus on global companies headquartered in specific countries.
Please indicate how much you trust global companies headquartered in the following countries to do what is
right. Use the same nine-point scale, where one means that you “do not trust them at all” and nine means that
you “trust them a great deal.” (Top 4 Box, Trust) Informed Publics, 27-country global total.
18. 18
TRUST IN COMPANIES WITH HEADQUARTERS IN DEVELOPED (U.S., U.K., GERMANY,
FRANCE, JAPAN) VS. DEVELOPING COUNTRIES (CHINA, INDIA, RUSSIA, MEXICO, BRAZIL)
Q26-Q42. [TRACKING] Now we would like to focus on global companies headquartered in specific countries.
Please indicate how much you trust global companies headquartered in the following countries to do what is right.
Use the same nine-point scale, where one means that you “do not trust them at all” and nine means that you “trust
them a great deal.” (Top 4 Box, Trust) Informed Publics, 27-country global total.
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: DEVELOPING
COUNTRY MULTINATIONALS CHALLENGED
Company’s
Country of Origin Type of Market
Percent in Market
Who Trust the Company
DEVELOPING
Country Multinational
Doing Business…
… in a Developing Country 57%
… in a Developed Country 22%
DEVELOPED
Country Multinational
Doing Business…
… in a Developing Country 77%
… in a Developed Country 58%
Informed
Public
19. 19
44% 45%
72%
64%
75%
69%
TRUST IN DIFFERENT TYPES OF BUSINESS, DEVELOPED (U.S., U.K., GERMANY,
FRANCE, JAPAN) VS. DEVELOPING COUNTRIES (CHINA, INDIA, RUSSIA, MEXICO, BRAZIL)
ENTERPRISE TYPE:
DEVELOPING COUNTRIES
MORE OPEN TO BIG BUSINESS
Informed
Public
Q15-17C. Thinking about different types of businesses, please indicate how much you trust each type of
business to do what is right using a nine-point scale, where one means that you “do not trust them at all” and
nine means that you “trust them a great deal.” (Top 4 Box, Trust) Informed Publics, 27-country global total.
Edelman’s 2014 Summer Trust
Supplement found that, in most
emerging markets, large family-
owned businesses were the most
trusted company type, whereas
small family-owned businesses
were significantly less trusted.
Note that this distinction between
large and small family-owned
companies used for the Summer
Report makes direct comparisons
with the 2015 Barometer not
possible.
DEVELOPED COUNTRIES DEVELOPING COUNTRIES
State-owned Big Business Family-ownedState-owned Big Business Family-owned
20. 20
Q130-143. [TRACKING] Below is a list of people. In general, when forming an opinion of a company, if you heard information
about a company from each person, how credible would the information be—extremely credible, very credible, somewhat
credible, or not credible at all? (Top 2 Box, Very/Extremely Credible) Informed Publics, 27-country global total.
CREDIBILITY OF SPOKESPERSONS, 2014 VS. 2015
LEADERSHIP: EXPERT AND “A PERSON
LIKE YOURSELF” TWICE AS CREDIBLE AS CEO
70%
68%
63%
54% 55%
53%
46%
37%
70%
67%
63%
56%
53%
49%
43%
38%
Academic or
Industry Expert
Company
Technical Expert
A Person Like
Yourself
NGO
Representative
Financial or
Industry Analyst
Regular
Employee
CEO Government
Official or
Regulator
2014 2015
More Trust Less Trust
Informed
Public
21. 21
31%
40%
50%
3…
43% 43% 41%
25%
33%
41%
26%
34% 34%
31%
47%
51%
67%
56%
60%
63%
61%
2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015
50%
Global
CEO CREDIBILITY AS A SPOKESPERSON, 2009 – 2015, GLOBAL, DEVELOPED COUNTRIES (U.S., U.K.,
GERMANY, FRANCE, JAPAN) VS. DEVELOPING COUNTRIES (CHINA, INDIA, RUSSIA, MEXICO, BRAZIL),
ALL DATA BASED ON 20-COUNTRY TOTALS
LEADERSHIP:
FRESH DECLINES FOR CEOS
CEOs not credible
as spokesperson
in three-quarters
of countries
Developing Countries
Developed Countries
Informed
Public
Q130-143. [TRACKING] Below is a list of people. In general, when forming an opinion of a company, if you heard
information about a company from each person, how credible would the information be--extremely credible, very
credible, somewhat credible, or not credible at all? (Top 2 Box, Trust) Informed Publics, 20-country global total.
22. 22
16 KEY ATTRIBUTES
TO BUILDING TRUST
INTEGRITY
Has ethical business practices
Takes responsible actions to address an issue or crisis
Has transparent and open business practices
ENGAGEMENT
Listens to customer needs and feedback
Treats employees well
Places customers ahead of profits
Communicates frequently and honestly on the state of its business
PRODUCTS & SERVICES
Offers high-quality products or services
Is an innovator of new products, services or ideas
PURPOSE
Works to protect and improve the environment
Addresses society’s needs in its everyday business
Creates programs that positively impact the local community
Partners with NGOs, government and 3rd parties to address societal
needs
OPERATIONS
Has highly-regarded and widely-admired top leadership
Ranks on a global list of top companies
Delivers consistent financial returns to investors
Edelman Trust Barometer
research reveals 16 specific
attributes that build trust.
These can be grouped into five
performance clusters listed here
in rank order of importance.
Q80-Q95. [TRACKING] How important is each of the following actions to building your trust in a company? Use
a nine-point scale where one means that action is “not at all important to building your trust” and nine means it
is “extremely important to building your trust” in a company. (Top 2 Box, Very/Extremely Important) Informed
Public, 27-country global total.
23. 23
25%
24%
23%
22%
25%
25%
26%
29%
32%
26%
27%
30%
28%
27%
28%
28%
34%
34%
37%
34%
44%
44%
48%
40%
58%
50%
53%
57%
55%
55%
54%
57%
Delivers Consistent Financial Returns To Investors
Ranks On A Global List Of Top Companies, Such As Best To Work For Or Most Admired
Has Highly-Regarded And Widely Admired Top Leadership
Partners With NGOs, Government And Third Parties To Address Societal Issues
Addresses Society'S Needs In Its Everyday Business
Creates Programs That Positively Impact The Local Community
Works To Protect And Improve The Environment
Is An Innovator Of New Products, Services Or Ideas
Offers High Quality Products Or Services
Communicates Frequently And Honestly On The State Of Its Business
Places Customers Ahead Of Profits
Listens To Customer Needs And Feedback
Treats Employees Well
Has Transparent And Open Business Practices
Takes Responsible Actions To Address An Issue Or A Crisis
Has Ethical Business Practices
TRUST BUILDING ATTRIBUTES –
LARGE GAP IN EXPECTATION VS. PERFORMANCE Informed
Public
BUSINESS IMPORTANCE VS. COMPANY PERFORMANCE
OPERATIONS
PURPOSE
PRODUCTS
INTEGRITY
ENGAGEMENT
Gap
-29
-26
-28
-27
-27
-26
-24
-26
-11
-22
-19
-19
-12
-14
-10
-9
Q80-Q95. [TRACKING] How important is each of the following actions to building your TRUST in a company? Use a nine-point scale where one means that
action is “not at all important to building your trust” and nine means it is “extremely important to building your trust” in a company. Informed Publics , 27
Country Global Total.
Q114-129. Please rate businesses in general on how well you think they are performing on each of the following attributes. Use a 9-point scale where one
means they are "performing extremely poorly" and nine means they are "performing extremely well". Informed Publics, 27 Country Global Total.
*Excludes don’t know responses
24. 24
STATED IMPORTANCE VS. STATED PERFORMANCE ON 16 TRUST ATTRIBUTES - GLOBAL
ENGAGEMENT AND INTEGRITY:
PRIORITY AREAS FOR COMPANIES TO BUILD
TRUST
TRUST-BUILDING OPPORTUNITY QUADRANT
UNDER-PERFORMING ON HIGH PRIORITIES HIGH-PERFORMING ON HIGH PRIORITIES
UNDER-PERFORMING ON LOWER EXPECTATIONS HIGH-PERFORMING ON LOWER PRIORITIES
ENGAGEMENT
INTEGRITY
OPERATIONS
PRODUCTS & SERVICES
StatedImportance
Stated Performance
PURPOSE
OPERATIONS in 2008
Informed
Public
Q80-Q95. [TRACKING] How important is each of the following actions to building your trust in a company? Use a nine-point scale where
one means that action is “not at all important to building your trust” and nine means it is “extremely important to building your trust” in a
company. (Top 2 Box, Very/Extremely Important) Informed Public, 27-country global total. Q114-129. Please rate businesses in general
on how well you think they are performing on each of the following attributes. Use a nine-point scale, where one means they are
"performing extremely poorly" and nine means they are "performing extremely well." (Top 2 Box, Performing Extremely Well) Informed
Public, 27-country global total.
25. 25
BUILDING AND DEFENDING TRUST:
CLEAR PERSONAL AND SOCIETAL BENEFITS ARE
KEY
53% 39% 32%
Fails to Contribute
to the Greater Good
Lacks Economic
Growth
Does Not Help Me
and My Family Live
a Fulfilling Life
57% 51% 47%
Produces
Economic Growth
Allows Me to Be a
Productive
Member of Society
Contributes to
Greater Good
Reasons Trust in
Business Has Increased
Informed
Public
Q328-329. For which of the following reasons, if any, has your trust in each institution listed below increased over the past
year? (Top 4 Box, Trust) Informed Publics, in [INSERT COUNTRY] and Q330-331. For which of the following reasons, if any,
has your trust in each institution listed below decreased over the past year? (Top 4 Box, Trust) Informed Publics, in [INSERT
COUNTRY].
Q249-252. Please indicate how much you agree or disagree with the following statements? (Top 4 Box, Trust) Informed Publics,
27-country global total.
Reasons Trust in
Business Has Decreased
47% 53%
81%
agree
“A company can take specific actions that
both increase profits and improve the
economic and social conditions in the
community where it operates.”
27. 27
- JEFF BEZOS
“New inventions and things that customers like
are usually good for society.”
NOT SO FAST…
28. 28
THE PACE OF DEVELOPMENT AND CHANGE IN BUSINESS AND INDUSTRY TODAY IS…
Q349-351. Below are a number of statements. For each, please think about the pace of development and change
in business and industry today and select the response that most accurately represents your opinion. (Not
Enough, Too Much) Informed Publics, 27-country global total.
TRUST IN BUSINESS INNOVATION:
PACE IS TOO FAST BY A 2-TO-1 MARGIN
51% Too Fast28% Too Slow
Informed
Public
19% Just Right
29. 29
24%
30%
35%
54%
66%
70%
Make the World a Better Place
Improve People's Lives
Personal Ambition
Greed/Money
Business Growth Targets
Technology
DRIVERS OF CHANGE IN BUSINESS AND INDUSTRY TODAY ARE PERCEIVED TO BE:
INNOVATIONS PERCEIVED AS DRIVEN BY
TECHNOLOGY, BUSINESS TARGETS AND
GREED/MONEY
Informed
Public
Q353. From the list below, what do you believe are the top three drivers of change in business and industry
today? Informed Publics, 27-country global total.
30. 30
46%
54% 54%
40%
53% 52%
24%
15% 16%
20%
17%
14%
Business Financial Services
Industry
Health Industry Technology Industry Energy Industry Food and Beverage
Industry
Informed
Public
2014 TRUST BAROMETER:
51%
say the most important
role for government in business is
to protect consumers and regulate business
NOT ENOUGH REGULATION TOO MUCH REGULATION
GOVERNMENT REGULATION OF BUSINESS AND ACROSS
INDUSTRY SECTORS IS PERCEIVED TO BE:
BUSINESS INNOVATION:
NOT ENOUGH
GOVERNMENT REGULATION
Q148. [TRACKING] When it comes to government regulation of business, do you think that your government regulates business toomuch, not enough or the right
amount? (Not Enough, Too much) Informed Publics, 27-country global total. Q262/Q263/Q264/Q381/Q382. When it comes to government regulation of the [financial
services industry / energy industry / food and beverage industry / health industry / technology industry], do you think thatyour government regulates it too much, not
enough or the right amount? (Not Enough, Too much) Informed Publics, 27-country global total.
31. 31
TRUST IN RECENT DEVELOPMENTS IN BUSINESS AND INDUSTRY
BUSINESS INNOVATION:
TRUST IN NEW DEVELOPMENTS VARIES
69%
59%
55%
47%
32%
Electronic and
Mobile Payments
Electronic and
Personal Health
Trackers
Cloud Computing Hydraulic
Fracturing
Genetically
Modified Foods
Electronic and
Mobile Payments
Electronic and
Personal Health
Trackers
Cloud Computing
Informed
Public
Q355-359. Below are a number of recent developments in business and industry. To what degree do you trust
each of these recent developments? Informed Publics, 27-country global total.
50%
32. 32
TRUST IN RECENT DEVELOPMENTS IN BUSINESS AND INDUSTRY, DEVELOPED COUNTRIES (U.S.,
U.K., GERMANY, FRANCE, JAPAN) VS. DEVELOPING COUNTRIES (CHINA, INDIA, RUSSIA, MEXICO, BRAZIL)
Q355-359. Below is a number of recent developments in business and industry. To what degree do you trust each
of these recent developments? Informed Publics, 27-country global total.
BUSINESS INNOVATION:
DEVELOPING MARKETS MORE OPEN TO CHANGE
+29 +19 +26 +21 +6
83%
72% 71%
60%
37%
54% 53%
45%
39%
31%
Electronic and Mobile
Payments
Electronic and
Personal Health
Trackers
Cloud Computing Hydraulic Fracturing Genetically Modified
Foods
DEVELOPING COUNTRIES DEVELOPED COUNTRIES
… but do not take
customers in developing
markets for granted.
Informed
Public
50%
33. 33
25
35
45
55
65
75
85
95
25% 35% 45% 55% 65% 75% 85%
TRUSTININSTITUTIONS(TRUSTINDEX)
TRUST IN RECENT BUSINESS INNOVATIONS (AVERAGE)
Data from Table 574
RELATIONSHIP OF TRUST IN INSTITUTIONS (TRUST INDEX) AND AVERAGE
TRUST IN RECENT BUSINESS DEVELOPMENTS
Q355-359. Below are a number of recent developments in business and industry. To what degree do you trust each
of these recent developments? Informed Publics, 27-country global total. Q11-14. Below is a list of institutions. For
each one, please indicate how much you trust that institution to do what is right using a nine-point scale, where one
means that you do not trust them at all and nine means that you trust them a great deal. Informed Publics, 27-
country global total.
TRUST AND BUSINESS INNOVATION: HIGHER TRUST
CREATES THE OPPORTUNITY FOR FASTER
INNOVATION
UAE
IND
BRA
MAL
SING
MEX
GLOBAL
US
ARG
ITA
S.KO
NETH
GER
JAP
FRA
CAN
AUS
SWE
IRE
TUR
POL
S.AF
HK
SPA
U.K.
Informed
Public
RUS
INDO
CHI
34. 34
Q360-364: Now thinking specifically about each of the following industries, how much do you trust them to responsibly develop
and release each of these recent developments? (Showing % who trust, rated 6-9). Informed Publics, 27-country global total.
Q43-60. Please indicate how much you trust businesses in each of the following industries to do what is right. Again, please
use the same nine-point scale where one means that you “do not trust them at all” and nine means that you “trust them a great
deal.” Informed Publics, 27-country global total.
Informed
Public
TRUST IN INDUSTRIES’ ABILITIES TO RESPONSIBLY DEVELOP AND RELEASE
INDUSTRY-SPECIFIC DEVELOPMENTS, COMPARED TO TRUST IN INDUSTRIES
BUSINESS INNOVATION:
TRUST IN INDUSTRY SECTORS DOES NOT
GUARANTEE INNOVATIONS ARE TRUSTED
35%
48%
61%
61%
62%
67%
60%
78%
60%
54%Financial Services
Electronic Payments
Health
Personal Health Trackers
Technology
Cloud Computing
Energy
Hydraulic Fracturing
Food and Beverage
Genetically Modified Foods
TRUST INDUSTRY SECTOR TRUST INDUSTRY TO IMPLEMENT EACH DEVELOPMENT
+8
+1
-17
-12
-32
Gap
Trust in Industry Sector
vs.
Trust in Industry to Innovate
35. 35
ACTIONS THAT INCREASE TRUST IN INDUSTRY TO IMPLEMENT TECHNOLOGY CHANGES
Make test results available publicly for review 80%
Partner with an academic institution 75%
Run a clinical trial or beta test 71%
Partner with an NGO 63%
Partner with government 55%
55% AGREE:
New developments
are not tested
enough
TRUST IN INNOVATION:
TRANSPARENCY AND 3RD-PARTY
VALIDATION ARE ESSENTIAL
Informed
Public
Q365-369. Below are a number of actions that could impact your trust in business and industry to develop and implement
technology-led changes such as those you just evaluated. What impact would each of these actions have on your trust?
Informed Publics, in [INSERT COUNTRY]. Q349-351. Below are a number of statements. For each, please think about the pace
of development and change in business and industry today, and select the response that most accurately represents your
opinion. (Not Enough, Too much) Informed Publics, in [INSERT COUNTRY].
36. 36
THE INNOVATION
TRUST MATRIX
Less
Transparency
Less Accessible
Lower Understanding
Lower Participation
Less Control
Trusted
Innovation
APATHY
More
Transparency
More Accessible
Greater
Understanding
Greater Participation
More Control
More Clear Benefit
Greater Personal Benefit
Greater Societal Benefit
Less Clear Benefit
Less Personal Benefit
Less Societal Benefit
Informed
Public
Distrusted
Innovation
FEAR
37. 37
THE NEW FORMULA FOR
BUSINESS INNOVATION
TI
Trusted
Innovation
Discovery
Business brings an
unrivaled agility and
nimbleness, a multi-
stakeholder and
often global view,
founded in specific
expertise no other
institution can bring.
= (D
Benefit
Benefit is twofold:
personal and
societal, referring to
the trust placed in
companies that
address individual
needs or challenges,
as well as larger,
macro-issues facing
society.
B+
Integrity
Attributes that build
trust in any company,
chiefly having ethical
business practices,
managing risk,
treating employees
well and operating
responsibly as a
good corporate
citizen.
I)+
E Engagement
The multiplier factor:
the transparency and
3rd-party validation
that is integral to
innovation. Making
test results publically
available for review
and partnering with
other institutions all
increase trust.
Ensuring information
is easy to find,
understand, and
share is critical.
38. 38
TOWARDS TRUSTED INNOVATION
A REQUIRED SET OF ACTIONS
BehaveSolve Engage
Fundamentally, business must conduct
itself with new rigor and self-awareness.
A commitment to robust relationships,
transparency and consistency in
reporting, active listening to
stakeholders’ concerns and a
willingness to modify products and
services is required. Ultimately this is an
action of leadership, culture and
conduct.
Business must continue to apply its
unparalleled perspective and skill to the
world’s greatest problems. Enterprise
must bring ideas and products to market
that yield benefit, while ensuring the
public sees the connection between
new developments and societal benefit.
Innovative product and service solutions
should be recognized by stakeholders
as more than profit-drivers.
Business must adopt a new framework
rooted in facilitating dialogue, sharing
information and fostering collaboration.
Realizing that new developments do not
speak for themselves, enterprises must
actively engage a broad range of
stakeholders to facilitate greater
understanding through stories that
reach and touch their audiences.
Business must explain benefits
completely, elucidate the technology
behind the innovations and
communicate its ethical practices in
bringing those discoveries to market. A
business that does this well is one that
invites partnership, encouraged
feedback and interaction and listens
openly.
39. 39
Trusted Companies
BEHAVIOR BASED ON TRUST
TRUST IN INNOVATION MATTERS
Distrusted Companies
Refused to buy products/services Chose to buy products/services-63% 80%
Criticized them to a friend/colleague Recommended them to a friend/colleague-58% 68%
Paid more for products/services 54%
Shared negative
opinions online
Shared positive opinions online-37% 48%
Defended company 40%
Sold
shares
Bought shares-18% 28%
Informed
Public
Q371-376. Thinking back over the past 12 months, have you taken any of the following actions in relation to
companies that you trust? Please answer yes or no to each action. Informed Publics, 27-country global total.
Q377-380. Still thinking about the past 12 months, have you taken any of the following actions in relation to
companies that you do not trust? Please answer yes or no to each action. Informed Publics, 27-country global
total.
40. 40
Trusted Companies
BEHAVIOR BASED ON TRUST
TRUST IN INNOVATION MATTERS
Distrusted Companies
Refused to buy products/services Chose to buy products/services-63% 80%
Criticized them to a friend/colleague Recommended them to a friend/colleague-58% 68%
Paid more for products/services 54%
Shared negative
opinions online
Shared positive opinions online-37% 48%
Defended company 40%
Sold
shares
Bought shares-18% 28%
Informed
Public
Q371-376. Thinking back over the past 12 months, have you taken any of the following actions in relation to
companies that you trust? Please answer yes or no to each action. Informed Publics, 27-country global total.
Q377-380. Still thinking about the past 12 months, have you taken any of the following actions in relation to
companies that you do not trust? Please answer yes or no to each action. Informed Publics, 27-country global
total.
#1
most trusted
media source:
ONLINE SEARCH
ENGINES
#1
most trusted
content creators:
FRIENDS AND
FAMILY
42. 42
TRUST IN THE FOUR INSTITUTIONS OF GOVERNMENT, BUSINESS, MEDIA AND NGOS IN BRAZIL, 2014 VS.
2015
Q11-14. [TRACKING] Below is a list of institutions. For each one, please indicate how much you trust that institution
to do what is right using a nine-point scale, where one means that you “do not trust them at all” and nine means that
you “trust them a great deal.” (Top 4 Box Trust) Informed Publics in Brazil.
TRUST IN INSTITUTIONS
BUSINESS
GOVERNMENTMEDIA
NGOS
Informed
Public
70% 73%
2014 2015
#1
63%
56%
2014 2015
#3
62%
70%
2014 2015
#2
34%
37%
2014 2015
#4
43. 43
Q178-182. When looking for general news and information, how much would you trust each type of source for
general news and information? Please use a nine-point scale where one means that you “do not trust it at all” and
nine means that you “trust it a great deal”. (Top 4 Box, Trust) Informed Publics, in Brazil.
TRUST IN EACH SOURCE FOR GENERAL NEWS AND INFORMATION IN BRAZIL
MEDIA SOURCES
Informed
Public
79%
70%
74%
66%
61%
55%
65% 66%
59%
52%
63% 62%
79%
66%
81%
79%
56%
51%
63%
62%
2012 2013 2014 2015
Traditional Media
Online Search Engines
Social Media
Hybrid Media
Owned Media
64%
53%
48%
47%
62%
44. 44
TRUST IN INFORMATION CREATED BY EACH AUTHOR ON SOCIAL NETWORKING SITES, CONTENT
SHARING SITES AND ONLINE-ONLY INFORMATION SOURCES IN BRAZIL
MEDIA SOURCES
Informed
Public
TELEVISIONNEWSPAPERS ONLINE SEARCH
The First Source for
General Information
The First Source for
Breaking News
Source Used Most to
Confirm/Validate News
Q183. On a typical day, what is the first source that you go to for general information about business? Informed
Publics, Informed Publics, in Brazil.
Q184. What is the first source you go to for breaking news about business? Informed Publics, in Brazil.
Q185. Which of the following sources do you turn to MOST often to confirm/validate information on breaking news
about business? Informed Publics, in Brazil.
36%
24% 27%
25%
30%
27%
12%
18%
14%
2013 2014 2015
35%
26% 25%22%
27%
28%
15%
20%
13%
2013 2014 2015
29%
21% 21%21%
18% 18%
27%
32% 31%
2013 2014 2015
20%
18%
37%
18%
27%
27%
21%
31%
22%
45. 45
Q387-396. Thinking about the information you consume on social networking sites, such as Facebook, MySpace, LinkedIn,
Meebo, Orkut, Qzone, RenRen, how much do you trust the information posted from each of the following authors or content
creators? (Top 4 Box, Trust) Informed Publics, in Brazil.
Q397-406. Thinking about the information you consume on content sharing sites, such as YouTube, how much do you trust the
information posted from each of the following authors or content creators? Informed Publics,in Brazil.
Q407 - 415 Thinking about the information you consume on online-only news and information sources, such as The Huffington
Post, Buzzfeed, Techcrunch, etc., how much do you trust the information posted from each of the following authors or content
creators? Informed Publics, in Brazil.
36%
38%
40%
49%
56%
59%
68%
74%
81%
84%
Elected officials
Celebrities
Brands I don’t use
A well-known online personality
Employees of a company
A company CEO
A journalist
Companies I use
An academic expert
My friends and family
Informed
Public
TRUST IN INFORMATION CREATED BY EACH AUTHOR ON SOCIAL NETWORKING SITES,
CONTENT SHARING SITES AND ONLINE-ONLY INFORMATION SOURCES IN BRAZIL
TRUSTED
NEUTRAL
DISTRUSTED
CONTENT CREATORS
72%
70%
46%
46. 46
Informed
Public
TECHNOLOGY LEADS; PRIVACY AND DATA SECURITY ARE ATTENTION POINTS
TRUST IN INDUSTRIES
86% 84% 83%
80% 79%
75%
72% 70% 69% 69% 67% 65%
62% 61% 61%
0%
50%
100% 78%
75% 67% 71% 67%
60% 61% 66%
63% 60% 57% 54%
51% 63% 53%
47. 47
50%
57%
68%
State-owned Big Business Family-owned
Informed
Public
GLOBAL BRAZIL
TRUST IN DIFFERENT TYPES OF BUSINESS, GLOBAL VS. BRAZIL
ENTERPRISE TYPE
46%
71%
83%
State-owned Big Business Family-owned
Q15-17C. Thinking about different types of businesses, please indicate how much you trust each type of
business to do what is right using a nine-point scale, where one means that you “do not trust them at all” and
nine means that you “trust them a great deal.” (Top 4 Box, Trust) Informed Publics, in Brazil and 27-country
global total.
48. 48
Informed
Public
BUILDING “BRAZIL BRAND”
Q15-17C. Thinking about different types of businesses, please indicate how much you trust each type of
business to do what is right using a nine-point scale, where one means that you “do not trust them at all” and
nine means that you “trust them a great deal.” (Top 4 Box, Trust) Informed Publics, in Brazil and 27-country
global total.
88% 88% 88%
85% 83% 83% 83% 81%
76%
71% 71% 70%
61%
53% 51% 50% 50%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
35%31%
38%
34% 36%
49. 49
Q130-143. [TRACKING] Below is a list of people. In general, when forming an opinion of a company, if you heard
information about a company from each person, how credible would the information be--extremely credible, very
credible, somewhat credible, or not credible at all? (Top 2 Box, Trust) Informed Publics, inBrazil.
CREDIBILITY OF SPOKESPERSONS, 2014 VS. 2015 IN BRAZIL
LEADERSHIP
84%
70%
74%
61%
45%
60% 59%
34%
84% 83%
77%
70%
64% 63%
59%
39%
A Person
Like Yourself
Academic or
Industry Expert
Company
Technical Expert
Financial or
Industry Analyst
NGO
Representative
CEO Regular
Employee
Government
Official
or Regulator
2014 2015
More Trust Less Trust
Informed
Public
50. 50
31%
40%
50%
38%
43% 43% 41%
43%
47%
74%
53%
52%
60%
63%
2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015
50%
Global
CEO CREDIBILITY AS A SPOKESPERSON, 2009 – 2015, GLOBAL AND BRAZIL
LEADERSHIP
Brazil
Informed
Public
Q130-143. [TRACKING] Below is a list of people. In general, when forming an opinion of a company, if you heard
information about a company from each person, how credible would the information be--extremely credible, very
credible, somewhat credible, or not credible at all? (Top 2 Box, Trust) Informed Publics, 20-country global total and
Brazil.
51. 51
54%
51%
49%
45%
49%
52%
60%
61%
61%
56%
53%
57%
59%
57%
56%
60%
52%
55%
53%
54%
59%
63%
69%
59%
69%
64%
67%
67%
69%
68%
64%
71%
Delivers Consistent Financial Returns To Investors
Ranks On A Global List Of Top Companies, Such As Best To Work For Or Most Admired
Has Highly-Regarded And Widely Admired Top Leadership
Partners With NGOs, Government And Third Parties To Address Societal Issues
Addresses Society'S Needs In Its Everyday Business
Creates Programs That Positively Impact The Local Community
Works To Protect And Improve The Environment
Is An Innovator Of New Products, Services Or Ideas
Offers High Quality Products Or Services
Communicates Frequently And Honestly On The State Of Its Business
Places Customers Ahead Of Profits
Listens To Customer Needs And Feedback
Treats Employees Well
Has Transparent And Open Business Practices
Takes Responsible Actions To Address An Issue Or A Crisis
Has Ethical Business Practices
TRUST BUILDING ATTRIBUTES –
LARGE GAP IN EXPECTATION VS. PERFORMANCE Informed
Public
BUSINESS IMPORTANCE VS. COMPANY PERFORMANCE
OPERATIONS
PURPOSE
PRODUCTS
INTEGRITY
ENGAGEMENT
Gap
-11
-8
-11
-10
-10
-14
-8
-8
+2
-9
-11
-10
-9
-4
-4
+2
Q80-Q95. [TRACKING] How important is each of the following actions to building your TRUST in a company? Use a nine-point scale where one means that
action is “not at all important to building your trust” and nine means it is “extremely important to building your trust” in a company. Informed Publics , in Brazil.
Q114-129. Please rate businesses in general on how well you think they are performing on each of the following attributes. Use a 9-point scale where one
means they are "performing extremely poorly" and nine means they are "performing extremely well". Informed Publics, in Brazil.
*Excludes don’t know responses
52. 52
BUILDING AND DEFENDING TRUST
53% 53% 47%
Fails to Contribute
to the Greater
Good
Does Not Help Me
and My Family
Live a Healthy Life
Does Not Help Me
and My Family
Live a Fulfilling Life
68% 49% 38%
Produces Economic
Growth
Allows Me to Be a
Productive
Member of Society/Helps
Me and My Family
Live a Healthy
Life/Contributes to the
Greater Good
Helps Me and My
Family
Live a Fulfiling
Life
Reasons Trust in
Business Has Increased
in BRAZIL
Informed
Public
Q328-329. For which of the following reasons, if any, has your trust in each institution listed below increased over the past
year? (Top 4 Box, Trust) Informed Publics, in Brazil. Q330-331. For which of the following reasons, if any, has your trust in
each institution listed below decreased over the past year? (Top 4 Box, Trust) Informed Publics, in Brazil.
Q249-252. Please indicate how much you agree or disagree with the following statements? (Top 4 Box, Trust) Informed
Publics, in Brazil.
Reasons Trust in
Business Has Decreased in
BRAZIL
56%
87%
agree
“A company can take specific actions
that both increase profits and improve
the economic and social conditions in
the community where it operates.”
68%
53. 53
THE PACE OF DEVELOPMENT AND CHANGE IN BUSINESS AND INDUSTRY IN BRAZIL TODAY IS …
Q349-351. Below are a number of statements. For each, please think about the pace of development and change
in business and industry today, and select the response that most accurately represents your opinion. (Not
Enough, Too Much) Informed Publics, in Brazil.
TRUST IN BUSINESS INNOVATION
59% Too Fast27% Too Slow
Informed
Public
13% Just Right
28% 19% 51%
54. 54
TRUST IN RECENT DEVELOPMENTS IN BUSINESS AND INDUSTRY, BRAZIL VS. GLOBAL
Q355-359. Below is a number of recent developments in business and industry. To what degree do you trust each
of these recent developments? (Top 4 Box, Trust) Informed Publics, in Brazil.
BUSINESS INNOVATION
+29 +19 +26 +21 +6
Informed
Public
50%
BRAZIL GLOBAL
80% 78%
73%
48%
39%
69%
59%
55%
47%
32%
Electronic and
Mobile Payments
Electronic and
Personal Health
Trackers
Cloud Computing Hydraulic
Fracturing
Genetically
Modified Foods
55. 55
Q360-364: Now thinking specifically about each of the following industries, how much do you trust them to responsibly
develop and release each of these recent developments? (Showing % who trust, rated 6-9). Informed Publics, in Brazil.
Q43-60. Please indicate how much you trust businesses in each of the following industries to do what is right. Again, please
use the same nine-point scale, where one means that you “do not trust them at all” and nine means that you “trust them a
great deal.” Informed Publics, in Brazil.
Informed
Public
TRUST IN INDUSTRIES’ ABILITIES TO RESPONSIBLY DEVELOP AND RELEASE
INDUSTRY-SPECIFIC DEVELOPMENTS, COMPARED TO TRUST IN INDUSTRIES IN BRAZIL
51%
55%
77%
78%
80%
79%
69%
65%
75%
86%
Financial Services
Electronic Payments
Health
Personal Health Trackers
Technology
Cloud Computing
Energy
Hydraulic Fracturing
Food & Beverage
Genetically Modified Foods
TRUST INDUSTRY SECTOR TRUST INDUSTRY TO IMPLEMENT EACH DEVELOPMENT
-6
+3
+12
-14
-28
Gap
Trust in Industry Sector
vs.
Trust in Industry to Innovate
BUSINESS INNOVATION
56. 56
ACTIONS THAT INCREASE TRUST IN INDUSTRY TO IMPLEMENT TECHNOLOGY CHANGES IN BRAZIL
Informed
Public
Q365-369. Below is a number of actions that could impact your trust in business and industry to develop and implement
technology-led changes such as those you just evaluated. What impact would each of these actions have on your trust?
Informed Publics, in Brazil.
Q349-351. Below are a number of statements. For each, please think about the pace of development and change in
business and industry today, and select the response that most accurately represents your opinion. (Not Enough, Too
Much) Informed Publics, in Brazil.
TRUST IN INNOVATION
Partner with an academic institution 88%
Make test results available publicly for review 83%
Run a clinical trial or beta test 82%
Partner with an NGO 75%
Partner with government 64%
75%
80%
63%
55%
71%
This is the 15th year of the Edelman Trust Barometer.
Early on in the history of the Trust Barometer, we saw the power of NGOs, in the middle of the decade was the rise of a person like yourself and the development of a horizontal, peer-to-peer communications path. Then it was the recovery of trust in business after its terrible fall in 2008/2009.
The images this year speak to major points of context throughout a year that was filled with previously unimaginable events: the conflict in Ukraine, the SONY Pictures hack, disappearance of MH370, spread of Ebola, controversy around Uber.
For 15 years we have conducted this survey.
In total, we surveyed 33,000 respondents in 27 countries.
1,000 general online population respondents per market were collected for a total of 27,000. 500 informed public respondents—those in higher income groups with significant media consumption—were polled in the US and China, with 200 surveyed in each of the other countries.
In general, we find that the general population is around 10 points more skeptical than the informed public.
Long-term trends show that typically business is the most volatile of the four institutions, following the rise and fall of economic circumstance and scandal. Government, which was in ascension in 2008/2009, has fallen substantially in recent years. NGOs have historically been on a path upward, taking up what was lost by other institutions – but this year saw a reversal in that trend. Media is in the midst of a long slow descent.
But this year, the big news is: trust is essential to business innovation.
This year we had the Foreign Exchange scandal, MH370, Uber, SONY, Ebola – leading many to ask, “what else can happen this year?”
This has had a deterrent effect on trust in institutions – skepticism founded in significant events.
There are some bright spots, however, including the election in India of a populist candidate who embraced the every man – an interesting link to trust in “a person like me” building a bridge in the trust equation.
Trust in 3 of 4 the four institutions fell this year, the lowest Trust since 2008, but the rank order remains the same.
Government was the only one to rise – largely because it could not fall any further – but also related to big rises in Russia, Indonesia and India. In fact, if you pull out India and Indonesia, government trust declines from 45 to 44.
Across the board, trust has evaporated. This is a new dynamic. Where we once saw a see-saw, now all boats are sinking.
What we have seen in 2015, which leads to our hypothesis, is this start of the era of skepticism. Post-Great Recession we anticipated a rebound recovery, but it has not been as significant or sustained. That recovery of Trust has reached a plateau and now is now on the decline.
The Trust index looks at the average score across the four institution in each of the 27 markets. This average speaks to the disposition of people to trust when they wake up in the morning.
Here we see a rise in the number of red/distruster markets, a shrinking of grey/uncertains, and a decrease in the number of blue/truster markets.
Among the general population, two thirds fall into the red/distruster category, which is a revert back to the trust levels of the great recession in 2008/2009, despite now decent economic circumstance. This year the drop is not related to the economy, but rather due to loss of confidence in institutions.
We are living in a world where the “haves” are skeptical and the “have nots” have hope no longer – a much more depressed picture.
NGOs have had a 15-year ascent. 19 of 27 markets have less trust in NGOs – confirming that their former rise is now under scrutiny.
In 2015, we started to see some cracks in NGO reputation throughout Western Europe, as has happened in Asia.
This is the first time drop in China, attributed to a major level of disappointment: NGOs should be doing more related to the environment.
The UK sees a large drop from 67 to 51, as we think about fracking and disappointment with government.
This is a sad story for media, with nearly two-thirds of markets distrusting media. Some have seen minimal increases, but those are offset by declines – some of which are massive, such as those in Hong Kong, which beg the question, “should media have been more active in support of protesters?” and raises red flags around the believability of media.
Unsurprisingly, there is a higher level of trust in media in authoritarian countries.
For the first time, we see online search as the most trusted source of media. The implications are that you can no longer rely on big, established brands – but rather dig deeper to get higher search rank (think BuzzFeed and Business Insider). There is also significant traffic to mainstream media driven through search.
Millennials: overall, they are just more trusting of media sources. The interesting thing is the gap between trust in traditional media and other types of media, which is far more pronounced between the overall global respondent set and Millennials. If Millennials are the consumers of today/tomorrow, the need to understand the definitively smaller gap between their trust in traditional media and their trust in hybrid, social or even owned media indicates important future trends.
Expanding upon that, we see that Search is not only the first source they turn to for information and breaking news about business, but also the most used to confirm and validate business news.
A new question this year – we looked at trust in a variety of people who create content on online sites such as social media and blogs. Friends and family at 72% are the most trusted, whereas CEOs are at 46%. Interestingly, companies I use have a 60% trust factor, while less than 1 in 3 believe content from brands they do not use. The old adage of “the more I know you, the more I trust you” remains true here, but it is extremely important for our clients to see the value of owned media channels. Only 53% believe journalists, which is not much higher than a CEO. Also beware of using celebrities.
Government has stabilized at a very low level and is flat with the exception of large jumps in Indonesia, Russia and India – two of which had a significant election year, especially for Modi in India.
S. Korea is a significant drop which could be contextualized through the ferry tragedy and a question around how quickly that regulatory body moved to create accountability.
Malaysia, riddled with scandal around airlines and the role of government, saw a drop of 9 points.
China already at 76 with not much movement in past years. While China has not had much movement in past years, we can credit their 6-point gain to the Premier’s anti-corruption work, pledging to “clean up” the government.
Again, Russia an interesting call out with an increase of more than 20 points, driven by increased nationalist sentiment.
Half of countries are below 50% as it relates to trust in business. 16 of 27 saw a decrease year over year.
This decrease is not necessarily related to economic performance (like it was in 2008/2009). We see huge drops in Canada and Germany, and significant decreases in Australia and Singapore.
We looked again at the four key factors to trust in business this year: Industry Sector, Country of Origin, Enterprise Type, and Leadership.
First and most important is “what business are you in?”
Historically, technology has been the most trusted, but this year for the first time, the broadest declines in industry-related trust were in tech-related companies. These declines can be seen in nearly three-quarters of markets surveyed. Our hypothesis is that these declines relate to concerns about privacy and security – questions about whether your data is actually secure.
The tech trust halo exists and there is an understandable desire to leverage that trust in technology sectors, but *how* you leverage it is critical.
A company’s country of origin is a critical factor – how and where it originates has an impact on its trustworthiness. We see here that companies headquartered in BRIC markets have a trust anchor around their ankles, while those in more developed market have a trust advantage.
A company from a developing market has a big problem when looking to do business in a developed country.
A multinational company from a developed market fares far better, especially moving into a developing market, while companies from the developing world have a big challenge if they are trying to enter a developed country market.
Here we look at Enterprise Type – and see that Family-owned companies are more trusted in developed countries by nearly 30 points--the perceived values of a family-owned enterprise bring an advantage in the more skeptical countries.
But in developing countries, it can actually be a deterrent. Big business is seen as a driver of opportunity with 75% trust levels, even trumping family-owned companies in developing countries.
In leadership, it is a sad story for CEOs – with a decline from the already low credibility they had in 2014. Academic or Industry Expert is most trusted at 70%, and “a person like yourself” is 63%. While NGOs went down as institution, here we see NGO representatives up by 2 points in credibility year over year.
Here you see longitudinal look at the downturn of trust in CEOs. In developed countries only one in three believe that CEOs have credibility. Why? Perhaps it is compensation issues, performance, a perceived over focus on profit, or even the “haves” vs. “have nots” issue.
The way forward for business is through building Trust. We know there are 16 trust-building attributes which fall into five performance clusters.
Engagement and integrity are the most important and critical in how we counsel clients to advance their business and advance innovations in the marketplace.
Prior to 2008, the priorities were products and services and having great operations. Today, these remain important but are now simply expected. Engagement and Integrity are the most important – but business is seen as under-performing in those areas.
In today’s atmosphere of skepticism, Engagement, Integrity become even more important. Are you communicating frequently and openly? Do you treat your employees well? Have ethical business practices?
8 in 10 believe business can make a profit *and* have positive impact.
For the first time this year we asked what drove the increase or decrease of trust in business. Nearly 1 in 2 highlight the contribution to greater good as the reason for an increased level of Trust in business, but lack of that contribution is also the reason for less trust in business.
Business cannot merely focus on the bottom line; they must think societally and play its part as a corporate citizen.
So, what must business do? And how are these declines in trust affecting business’ ability to accomplish their most fundamental task, which is to introduce new products and services to the market?
Historically, invention has been a good thing, sufficient to advance business – but the data says Mr. Bezos’ assumption does not ring true in this era of skepticism.
By a 2 to 1 margin, respondents say that the pace of change is too fast.
What is driving that feeling?
7 in 10 say Technology is the driver of change, but more alarming is the place “Greed/Money” and “Business Growth Targets” have north of 50%. Less than 1 in 3 believe innovation and change to be motivated a desire for personal and societal improvement.
According to last year’s Trust Barometer, more than half of informed public respondents believe the most important job of government is to regulate business and protect consumers from unethical or risky business behavior. As it relates to the five global sectors here, all (save tech) are at the 50+% mark on “not enough regulation”.
With that as backdrop, we asked about five specific technology-enabled innovations. They ran the gamut from 69% trust levels for electronic and mobile payments, to less than 1 in 3 for GMOs.
In general, developing markets are more open to new innovations. In developing markets, 8 in 10 trust electronic and mobile payments –for some that is their first experience with banking. When they see real improvement in quality of life, they are more willing to trust the innovation.
In developed countries there is more skepticism.
Our data shows a clear link between trust in institutions and consumer willingness to trust a new development.
The vertical axis here is the Trust Index—measuring trust in institutions—and the horizontal axis is the average of the trust in the innovations.
In the top right corner are real optimists, with a huge opportunity for new economic development based on their willingness to embrace innovation (UAE, India, Indonesia).
On the bottom and far left are skeptics, people concerned about risks. Germany has high trust level but is underperforming on willingness to embrace innovation. “How does it work?” and “Are the risks being mitigated?” are important questions, and illustrative of the real disparity between the top right and bottom left.
When we look through an industry lens, it makes no matter what the trust in my industry is; the trust in industry to bring innovations to market is not assured.
78% trust the technology industry, but only 61% (less than 2 in 3) actually trust that industry to implement cloud computing. This is particularly bad for food as you look at the right hand side and the gap between trust in food as an industry sector and trust in food as an industry to implement GM foods.
8 in 10 want transparency, asking business to make test results available to view. They want the endorsement of an Academic partnership, clinical trials, beta tests. More than half say new developments are not tested adequately enough. Respondents need more transparency, testing and review of exactly how that testing is being conducted. But more than half feel new developments are not tested enough.
According to a recent Associated Press-GfK poll, 66 percent of Americans favor requiring food manufacturers to put labels on products that contain genetically modified ingredients. This, again, points to a massive consumer appetite for transparency.
We bring that together to look at the differences between trusted innovations and distrusted innovations.
Trusted Innovations are ones that show a clear personal and societal benefit, coupled with transparency of how it was brought to market, sourced, envisioned and communicated. The inverse is true when those things are lacking.
A lack of transparency and understanding create fear. When viewed through a communications marketing lens, it is easier to move from fear to Trust, than from apathy to Trust.
These findings can be summarized with a new formula for business.
Many believe innovation is about discovery—and that it is enough to bring new solutions to market. Our research shows that this is not enough, and that it is now essential not only to have innovation, but to have trusted innovation.
TI is a composite of:
DISCOVER: In the industrial revolution, discovery was good. Here innovation is discovery. But deciding how to solve at scale in a profitable way is different. That is where benefit comes in.
BENEFIT: From job creation to solving dynamic problems facing world, business has a unique perspective that allows it to deliver enormous personal and societal benefit. Remember that 8 in 10 believe business can improve profit while improving the world.
INTEGRITY: This is about behavior of business, and questions about managing the risks that new innovations can bring with them.
All of this must be driven by the exponential power of engagement. This is about a multi-stakeholder world that demands authentic ENGAGEMENT.
Business was supposed to be the great solver, but that opportunity was not realized, and now we are seeing the repercussions of lack of engagement and communication for not the WHAT but the HOW and the WHY.
The required set of actions are:
SOLVE: This is absolutely about discovery, but also establishing that personal and societal benefit
BEHAVE: Behave with integrity, new rigor, and self-awareness. This is long term, not short. Take into consideration sustainability. Be consistent in reporting and tell people how you are doing.
ENGAGE: Listen, share information and improve product. Do not be afraid to acknowledge problems and take steps to make them better.
Trusted companies do better. When they are trusted, they are purchased, talked about online, and recommended. When distrusted, they will not talk, not buy, and will criticize. The importance of this cannot be underestimated in today’s age of skepticism.
-- and especially at a time that the most trusted content creators are friends and family, and search reigns supreme.
This is the 15th year of the Edelman Trust Barometer.
Early on in the history of the Trust Barometer, we saw the power of NGOs, in the middle of the decade was the rise of a person like yourself and the development of a horizontal, peer-to-peer communications path. Then it was the recovery of trust in business after its terrible fall in 2008/2009.
The images this year speak to major points of context throughout a year that was filled with previously unimaginable events: the conflict in Ukraine, the SONY Pictures hack, disappearance of MH370, spread of Ebola, controversy around Uber.
Hong Kong
The drop in absolute value is quite small. But last year’s base (45%) was already well below average.
There have been fewer scandals this year. While the protests brought attention back to 2013’s ‘greatest hits’, government scandals were not as numerous or high profile in 2014.
Indonesia:
new President and his cabinet took office in end October on a tidal surge of promised reform
India:
-First time a single political alliance majority in 30 years as agains coalition governments
-strong faith in leadership (Modi)
-strong support from middle class and others alike
-promise of economic revival and job growth huge drivers
-Modi's persona based on strong communication and his track record of development in his home state of Gujarat
South Korea:
It was inevitable result as there so many issues around the government. In particular, Sewol ferry disaster hit the country over months and government showed incapability of handling this issue. Also, sluggish economy created negative perception toward the government. Please refer to articles in the link below.
http://www.theguardian.com/world/south-korea-ferry-disaster