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2011 Edelman Trust Barometer

Findings
Edelman Trust Barometer at a glance

Eleventh annual study

5,075 people in 23 countries on five continents

Ages 25 to 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

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The Edelman Trust Barometer in retrospect

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

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1. State of Trust
Shifting center of gravity
Globally, trust increases in all institutions

How much do you trust the institution to do what is right?

2010 2011
100%

90%
+4 +2
80%
+5 +4
70%
61%
60% 57% 56%
54%
52%
49%
50% 47%
45%

40%

30%

20%

10%

0%
NGOs Business Government Media

Responses 6-9 on 1-9 scale; 9=highest; Informed publics ages 25 to 64

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Emerging markets dominate as “business trusters”
U.S. drops to within 5 points of Russia
How much do you trust business to do what is right?

2010 2011

Trusters Neutral Distrusters


100%

90% +19
81%
80%
70%
-8
70% 67%
64%
+12
62%
59%
62% 61% +12
60% 57%
53% 54%
52%
48% 49% 44%
50% 46%
40% 42% 41%
40% 36%

30%

20%

10%

0%
Brazil India Italy China Japan Germany France US UK Russia

Responses 6-9 on 1-9 scale; 9=highest; Informed publics ages 25 to 64; Top 10 GDP countries
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China and Brazil drive rise in trust in government; U.S. now on par with Russia

How much do you trust government to do what is right?

2010 2011

Trusters Neutral Distrusters


100% +14
88% +46
90% 85%

80% 74%

70% -6
60%
-10
51%
49%
50% 43% 45% 46%
42% 43% 44% 43% 43%
39% 40%
36% 38% 38% 39%
40%
33%
30%

20%

10%

0%
China Brazil Japan France Italy India UK US Russia Germany

Responses 6-9 on 1-9 scale; 9=highest; Informed publics ages 25 to 64; Top 10 GDP countries
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Developed markets more distrustful of media
How much do you trust media to do what is right?

2010 2011

Trusters Neutral Distrusters


100% +17
90% +19
80%
80%
73%
70%
63%
+12
58%
60% 54% - 11
50% 48%
-9
50% 45% 45%
38% 39% 37% 37% 37% 38%
40% 36% 36%
31%
30% 27%
22%
20%

10%

0%
China Brazil India Japan France Italy Germany Russia US UK

Responses 6-9 on 1-9 scale; 9=highest; Informed publics ages 25 to 64; Top 10 GDP countries
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Trust in NGOs now on par with business in emerging markets
More trusted than business in developed markets
How much do you trust NGOs to do what is right?
How much do you trust business to do what is right?
Business NGOs

Brazil China U.S. UK/FR/GER


100%

90%
81% 80%
80%

70% 63%
59% 61% 63% 59%
60% 56% 58% 55% 56% 55%
48% 46% 48%
50%
40%
40%

30%

20%

10%

0%
2008 2011 2008 2011 2008 2011 2008 2011

Responses 6-9 on 1-9 scale; 9=highest; Informed publics ages 25 to 64

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Trust Barometer Index:
U.S. drops while BRICs hold in composite scoring
2008 2011

Global ― Global 55
Mexico 69 Brazil 80
China 62 China 73
India 60 Mexico 69
US 53 India 56
Japan 50 Canada 55
S. Korea 50 S. Korea 53
Canada 48 Japan 51
Brazil 48 France 50
France 44 Germany 44
UK 43 US 42
Germany 36 UK 40
Russia 36 Russia 40

Composite score is an average of a countries trust in business, government, NGOs, and media
Responses 6-9 on 1-9 scale; 9=highest; Informed publics ages 25 to 64

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In U.S., 2011 decline mirrors 2008-2009 drop
Only country to see across-the-board fall

Trust in Institutions: 2008-2011

Business Government Media NGOs


80%

70%
63%
63%
60% 59%
Worldwide 54%
Financial Crisis 55%

50%
45% 46%
46% 46%
43%
40% 36% 40%
38%
31%
30%
30% 27%

20%
2008 2009 2010 2011

Responses 6-9 on 1-9 scale; 9=highest; Informed publics ages 25 to 64

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Trust in BRIC-based companies rises
How much do you trust global companies headquartered in the following countries to do what is right?

+15
Brazil HQs Russia HQs India HQs China HQs
100% 100% +32 100% 100% + 21
+ 32
90% 86% 90% +12 90% +13
+15 90%

80% +17
80% 80% 80% + 15 74%
+17 +16 70%
70% 65% 70% 70% 65% 70% +33
62% 60% +20
60% 60% 60% 56% -6
60%
53%
+14 +15
50% 44% 50%
43%
50% 50% 45%
40% -6
40% 37%
40%
33% 40% -7 40%
30%
28% 27% 30%
30% 30% 30%

20% 20%
13%
20% 20% 15%

10% 10% 10% 10%

0% 0% 0% 0%

Responses 6-9 on 1-9 scale; 9=highest; Informed publics ages 25 to 64

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Technology firmly on top; automotive rallies. Finance sector at bottom
How much do you trust the following industries to do what is right?

Trust in Industries – Global


Technology 81%

Automotive 69%

Telecommunications 68%

Food and beverage 66%

Biotech 65%

Retail 65%

Entertainment 63%

Pharmaceuticals 63%

Energy 62%

Consumer packaged goods 59%

OTC personal health care products 57%

Brewing and spirits 57%

Media 54%

Insurance 52%

Banks 51%

Financial services 50%

Responses 6-9 on 1-9 scale; 9=highest; Informed publics ages 25 to 64

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Since financial crisis, banks cannot recoup trust in U.S., while tech stays high
worldwide; in two years, auto climbs in the U.S. and China
How much do you trust the following industries to do what is right?

Technology Banks Automotive


+21
2008 2011 +12 2008 2011 2009 2011
100%
98% +7
93% 93%
90%
87%
90% 85%
83%
- 46 82% 80%
80% 77% 78% 78%
73% 75%
73%
71%
69%
70%

- 30 +17
60%
53%
49% 48%
50% 46%

40%
32%
30%
25%

20% 16%

10%

0%
China India U.S. U.K. China India U.S. U.K. China India U.S. U.K.

Responses 6-9 on 1-9 scale; 9=highest; Informed publics ages 25 to 64

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Business and Society
Toward shared value
What matters for corporate reputation:
Quality, transparency, trust, employee welfare most important
How important are these factors to corporate reputation?

High quality products or services 69%

Transparent and honest business practices 65%

Company I can trust 65%

Treats employees well 63%

Communicates frequently 55%

Prices fairly 55%

Good corporate citizen 51%

Innovator 46%

Widely admired leadership 39%

Financial returns to investors 39%

Responses 8-9 on 1-9 scale; 9=highest; Informed publics ages 25 to 64

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Expectations high for business to invest in society
Corporations should create shareholder value in a way that aligns with society’s interests,
even if that means sacrificing shareholder value

Government should regulate corporations’ activities to ensure business behaves responsibly

100%
91% 89% 89% 89%
90% 85% 85% 85%
82% 82% 82% 81% 81% 80%
79% 78% 78%
80% 74% 74% 73% 72%
73% 71% 71%
70% 69%
70% 66% 67% 67%
62% 61% 63% 61% 63% 63% 62%
56% 57% 58%
60%
53% 53%
49% 50% 48%
50% 55%
44% 42%
40%

30%

20%

10%

0%

Informed publics ages 25 to 64

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Roadmap to Trust
A new way forward
CEOs lead rise in trust in authority, but “person like me” drops amid flight to
credentialed spokespeople
If you heard information about a company from one of these people, how credible would that information be?

2009 2011
An academic or expert 70%
Academic/expert 62%

Technical expert within the


64%
company
Financial/industry analyst 49%

A financial or industry analyst 53%


Person like yourself 47%
CEO 50%

NGO representative 41%


NGO representative 47%

Regular employee 32%


Government official 43%

CEO 31% Person like yourself 43%

Government official 29% Regular employee 34%

Responses “Extremely credible” and “very credible”; Informed publics ages 25 to 64

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Search engines “go-to” source; online news second

Where do you generally go first for news about a company? Then where do you go?

First Source Second Source

Online search engine 29% Online news sources 23%

Print
Online news sources 19% (newspapers/magazines)
17%

Print
(newspapers/magazines)
15% Online search engine 16%

Broadcast (radio/TV) 12% Broadcast (radio/TV) 14%

Company website 11% Company website 11%

Friends and family 7% Friends and family 10%

Social media 5% Social media 7%

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50%

Informed publics ages 25 to 64

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Repetition enhances believability
How many times in general do you need to hear something about a specific company to believe
that information is likely to be true?

Don’t
Ten or more
know, 2% Once (1), 4%
times (10+), 6%
Six to Nine
times (6-9), 8%
Twice (2), 22%

Four or Five
times (4 - 5), 26%
3-5 times
59%

Three times (3), 33%

Informed publics ages 25 to 64

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Trust protects reputation

When a company is distrusted When a company is trusted

57% will believe


negative information
after hearing it 1-2 times
51%
will believe
positive information
will believe positive after hearing it 1-2 times
15%
information after 25%
hearing it 1-2 times
will believe negative information
after hearing it 1-2 times

Informed publics ages 25 to 64

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Conclusions

Business must align profit and purpose for social


benefit

Current media landscape plus increased


skepticism requires multiple voices and channels

Demand for authority and accountability set new


expectations for corporate leadership

Trust is a protective agent and leads to tangible


benefits; lack of trust is barrier to change

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The Transformation of Trust

Old Trust Framework New Trust Architecture


Control Information
Protect the Brand

Stand Alone

WHAT

Focus Solely on Profit Profit With Purpose

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For more information, or to request the
global or a country-specific presentation,
please contact
latraviette.smith@edelman.com

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