Edelman Trust Barometer - Key Findings

So, for "those that aren't in the know," Edelman is predominantly a global Public Relations firm that expends vast resources to tap into business and media pulse points in an effort to more effectively "move the needle" whatever direction their clients want them to go. They do a remarkable job at it and are worth listening to on the subject. 

From Edelman:
As populism plays an ever-growing role in the global political landscape, it is becoming a force that business leaders ignore at their peril. At its essence, populism represents a crisis in trust, a sense that the institutions of government, business, the media and even NGOs—and the people who lead them—no longer represent the best interests of the general population. What do today’s populist tendencies mean for business—and what must business leaders do to earn the license to lead and protect themselves against the risks? The 2017 Trust Barometer explores the opportunities for business to lead and earn trust in an era of populism, and the imperatives for leaders of all kinds or organizations to develop a new model of earning trust.

Key findings from Edelman’s 2017 Trust Barometer include:

• We saw the largest-ever drop in trust across the institutions of government, business, media and NGOs. Of the four institutions, business is viewed as the only one that can make a difference. 
• Trust in traditional media fell 5 points to 57 percent, the steepest decline among platforms since 2012. By contrast, online-only media (51 percent) received the biggest bump in trust at five points.
• There is evidence of even further dispersion of authority this year. A person like yourself (60 percent) is now just as credible a source of information about a company as is a technical (60 percent) or academic (60 percent) expert, and far more credible than a CEO (37 percent) and government official (29 percent).

About the Edelman Trust Barometer
The 2017 Edelman Trust Barometer is the firm’s 17th annual trust and credibility survey, the largest survey of its kind spanning 28 countries and 33,000 respondents.

Want to learn more about the Edelman Trust Barometer?

March 23rd from 11:30-1pm IABC Houston is hosting speaker Chris Manzini, Edelman General Manager, Houston and Dallas offices. Sign up at this link.
​iabchouston.starchapter.com/meet-reg1.php?id=52

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