New UK Research Points to the Value of Trust
[26th March] The top qualities that today’s consumers are demanding from brands in the post-pandemic era have been revealed by Clear Channel UK and JCDecaux UK, as they launch the findings of their new consumer confidence survey.
The research, which involved 1,000 UK consumers, reveals that the top three brand qualities to build trust with UK consumers are product quality (76%), value for price (72%) and transparency (62%). Whilst eco-friendly practices ride high on the national agenda, it’s interesting to see that social responsibility (56.39%) and environmental sustainability (56.27%) sit further down the list than expected, at 10 and 11 respectively.
Top 15 brand qualities ranked:
| 1 | Product quality | 76% |
| 2 | Value for price | 72% |
| 3 | Transparency | 61% |
| 4 | Fair pricing | 61% |
| 5 | No hidden costs | 60% |
| 6 | Innovation | 60% |
| 7 | Authenticity | 59% |
| 8 | Confidentiality | 57% |
| 9 | Consistency | 56% |
| 10 | Social responsibility | 56% |
| 11 | Environmental sustainability | 56% |
| 12 | Open communication | 56% |
| 13 | Ethical | 55% |
| 14 | Robust customer service | 51% |
| 15 | Enjoyable customer experience | 51% |
81% of consumers said trust is a deciding factor in their buying decision. These findings are particularly timely to help brands understand what consumers are asking for and double-down their efforts in delivering quality products and services that are value for money.
Trust=engagement
Across several sectors, the survey showed a clear correlation between trust and level of consumer engagement – with significant uplift in engagement when the brand was deemed trustworthy. Consumers are 30% more likely to engage with luxury goods and automotive brands they trust, and 24% more likely when it comes to travel brands.
The research also suggests that brands really need to consider their advertising spend, and think carefully about how they use influencers and messaging to deliver the best results with consumers:
- The death of the influencer – 60% of Brits say they are more likely to trust a brand if it is recommended by a friend or family, while just one in five say the same for those used by influencers/public figures.
- The return of the big screens – TV, outdoor and cinema top league for mediums most effective at changing mindsets, while one in three say they trust out of home (OOH).
Clear Channel UK and JCDecaux UK’s consumer trust research follows a period of sustained interest in the OOH medium and its ability to reach audiences at scale. The study tested the hypothesis that the media context in which a communications message is delivered has a significant effect on consumers’ perception of the brand. The study revealed that OOH was most effective at driving perceptions linked strongly to trust such as honesty, reliability, and safety.
It also demonstrated that OOH is considered a generally ethical medium. The survey found that consumers deemed OOH to be the least likely to manipulate people’s opinions, with 9 in 10 agreeing it is not suspicious or intrusive.
Indeed, the research reflects a PML Group iQ from 2019 that showed a majority of respondents believe that advertising on billboards make brands more trustworthy. As Justin Gibbons remarked this week, it’s very hard to lie in public.
