Consumer trust is important if companies and industries are to succeed, certainly in the long run. For example, see “Are You Vigilant in Protecting Your Reputation?”, “Don’ts for Businesses Using Social Media”, and “Americans Don’t Trust Mass Media” .
“Brand trust seems to matter more than ever, though it may be harder than ever to build that trust. SheSpeaks and Womenkind recently conducted a study to find out how women in the U.S. think about trust and loyalty when it comes to brands. The study found that most women are skeptical of advertising. Nearly three in four U.S. female Internet users polled said they trust advertising ‘very little’ or ‘not at all,’ while just one in five said they trust it ‘somewhat’ or ‘a lot.'”
“Women also distrust certain industries, though some fare better than others. When asked about which industries they trust — or don’t trust — survey respondents were most likely to deem companies in the packaged goods, nonprofit, technology, and beauty and personal care industries as the most trustworthy. In contrast, women said they trusted companies in the financial services, automotive, and healthcare industries ‘very little’ or ‘not at all.'”
It is somewhat surprising that nonprofits are not trusted substantially more than for-profit packaged goods companies and technology firms. And the financial services, auto, and healthcare industries need to work harder to gain consumer trust.
