Now, more than ever, companies should be looking for ways to activate their employees and connect them with customers and the community.

1. 2012 Trust Barometer
Key Findings For Internal
Communicators
ALL CONTENTS OF THIS PRESENTATION REMAIN THE INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY OF EDELMAN AND MAY NOT BE REPLICATED WITHOUT PRIOR PERMISSION

2. Implications for using employees as brand ambassadors
Trust in “a person like yourself” jumps 22 points
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3. CEO Credibility Plummets While Employee Credibility
Rises
Chief executives are no less relevant, just less credible
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4. Spokesperson Credibility Perceptions Vary
Executives and employees don’t view each other as credible sources
4

5. Agreement in Credibility of Technical Experts
Executives and employees see eye-to-eye
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6. The Importance of Treating Employees Well
Trust building factors
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7. Executives Trust Social Media Twice As Much As
Employees
And virtually all information sources
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8. Three Opportunities to Build Trust
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9. Ten Questions Communicators Should Ask (and
Answer)
If a crisis hits tomorrow, who besides your CEO is prepared to How are you connecting your employees with each other
1 step up as the face of your company?
6 using social media?
Have you identified technical experts within your company’s ranks—
What steps are you taking to involve employees in co-creating
2 engineers, designers, manufacturing supervisors—that could serve 7 solutions to customer service issues?
as credible spokespeople for your organization in times of distress?
Does your company have an online/social media behavior policy, If employees become aware of an emerging customer service or
3 and if so, are your employees aware of how it applies to them? 8 product issue, do they have a way to tell the company about it?
Would your employees know what to tell their online social How are you strengthening the connection between your CEO
4 networks in the event of a company crisis? 9 and your employees?
Would employees feel comfortable advocating for your company to
Do your employees have a way to interact with your CEO
5 their friends on Facebook, Twitter and other networks? (and would 10 directly, perhaps via social media?
they be willing to do so?)
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