Part of the role of many professional salespeople is to be
public face of their company. In some sense they are a local PR spokesperson for
their company.
For those for whom this is so, I think you will find the
results of the Edelman Trust Barometer 2013 very interesting reading and useful
in the parts of your presentations and pitches about your companies.
Edelman surveyed more than 31,000 respondents in 26 markets
around the world and measured their trust in institutions, industries and
leaders. Edelman are PR specialists.
Here is their headline figure:-
"Only 14% of the global population
trust business a great deal."
That’s just slightly
over one in 7 people.
This should be of
concern to every consumer product marketer and salesperson .
Manufacture and market
consumer goods top the table financial services are at the lower end of the
table.
Consumer electronics 70 %,
Automotive sector 66 %,
Food and
beverage 62 %,
CPG 60 % ( Consumer Packaged Goods)
Telecom 60 %
Those respondents familiar with Banking / financial services
scandals over the past year describe the poor story of Trust in 2013 starkly due to te follwoing
20% Lack of regulation
23% Corporate culture driven by compensation / bonuses
25% Corporate Corruption
11% Conflicts of
Interest
6% Changes in the economy
13% Banks are too large
Brand trust for
consumer goods depends in product quality and innovation. Although these two
attributes remain paramount Edelman suggest 5 clusters in their model
Operational excellence remains important, but it is what is
expected of suppliers and not what will differentiate or build trust.
In order to build
trust, suppliers must meet expectations
on engagement and integrity.
Maximising
trustworthiness needs to be achieved in credible sources through inclusive
management, based in grounded leadership
Edelman go on to three key Trust developing areas
Share Your
Values
Most companies equate
positive employee experience with business performance and invest significant
resources in their employees’ well-being.
However too few
companies share this commitment outside
their organization. Salespeople have a
role to play here in communicating the right messages
Consumers want to know who’s making their products and how
they are treated by employers (engagement).
The smart companies will oblige by making access to information
about employment practices transparent and accessible through owned and social
media channels.
Share
Responsibility
Consumer goods manufacturers have correctly assessed and
genuinely addressed their environmental stewardship policy, but according to a
World Economic Forum report too few consumers believe companies’ sustainability
claims and too many people find it too difficult to make the environmentally
responsible and informed choices about
products.
Companies need to be transparent in their environmental claims and
help consumers understand how their own behaviours impact climate change.
Embrace
Shared Influence
Traditionally influence has cascaded from business leaders,
academics and other experts.
Today, this hierarchy of authority is mirrored by a pyramid
of community, where social activists, action consumers and employees have equal
influence on the general population.
Companies serious
about building trust will embrace these new communities of influence by giving
them unprecedented access and voice.
Jennifer Cohan is global practice chair at Edelman on Consumer Marketing
finishes her report with
”The consumer products
and services industry is the most creative and innovative in the world.
It has led other industries in re-examining
business process and customer engagement.
It’s time to lead in the rebuilding of
consumer trust”
Related Links
The Edelman web site This is very interesting site. Would recommend all Salespeople with a local PR responsibility to read it. It will also help with understanding of the missives from a centralised PR at HQ!
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