Which is one of the surprising results of an anonymous survey among 1,491 executives worldwide. It was even, with 68% among American leaders. But even though the stat is surprising, it seems most people were already assuming so. A different survey among 395.000 consumers revealed that only 34% thought companies were transparent about their commitments and promises, while only 47% of brands were seen as trustworthy.
Interestingly, these statistics roughly line up with the perception of leaders, suggesting that consumers intuitively feel that most brands are not very genuine. This poses a challenge for genuine brands to overcome a strong sentiment of cynicism among consumers, yet provides an opportunity to stick out as well. In a time where consumers increasingly look for brands to step up, it is therefore important to be transparent about your efforts and act on them–because people can feel when you’re not.
