2. PG 2
EDELMAN’S 15th Annual
TRUST BAROMETER METHODOLOGY
Informed Public
• 500 respondents in U.S.
and China, and 200 in
other countries
• Ages 25-64
• 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
• 15 years of data
General Online Population
• 1,000 respondents per
country surveyed
• Ages 18+
• 4 years in 25+ markets
Online Survey in 27 Countries
• 33,000 respondents
• 7 years in 20+ markets
• 10 years in 10+ markets
4. PG 4
China 79
UAE 79
Singapore 73
Indonesia 72
India 69
Malaysia 65
Canada 60
Netherlands 60
Hong Kong 59
Mexico 59
Australia 58
Brazil 57
Germany 57
Argentina 53
U.K. 52
S. Korea 51
Sweden 51
S. Africa 50
U.S. 49
France 46
Japan 44
Italy 43
Turkey 41
Ireland 39
Spain 39
Russia 37
Poland 35
GLOBAL TRUST INDEX
TRUSTERSNEUTRALDISTRUSTERS
2014
TRUSTERS
from 30% to
22% in 2015
GLOBAL 56
Italy 48
S. Africa 48
Hong Kong 47
S. Korea 47
U.K. 46
Argentina 45
Poland 45
Russia 45
Spain 45
Sweden 45
Turkey 40
Ireland 37
Japan 37
2015
UAE 84
India 79
Indonesia 78
China 75
Singapore 65
Netherlands 64
Brazil 59
Mexico 59
Malaysia 56
Canada 53
Australia 52
France 52
U.S. 52
Germany 50
GLOBAL 55
DISTRUSTERS
from 33% to
48% in 2015
The Trust Index is an average of a country’s trust in the institutions of
government, business, media and NGOs. 27-country global total.
Informed
Public
U.S. 59
Netherlands 59
Brazil 55
Germany 55
France 54
Sweden 54
U.K. 53
Italy 51
Australia 50
Poland 48
S. Korea 47
Ireland 46
Argentina 45
Spain 42
Turkey 42
Japan 41
Russia 36
2013
GLOBAL 57
China 80
Singapore 76
India 71
Mexico 68
Hong Kong 67
UAE 66
Malaysia 64
Canada 62
Indonesia 62
5. PG 5
Lower/Equal Trust in 15 CountriesIncreased Trust in 12 Countries
50%
GLOBAL TRUST IN MEDIA Informed
Public
Q11-14. [MEDIA IN GENERAL] Below is a list of institutions. For each one, please indicate how much you trust that
institution to do what is right using a nine-point scale where one means that you “do not trust them at all” and nine
means that you “trust them a great deal.” (Top 4 Box, Trust) Informed Publics, 27-country global total.
% Trust
53
78
70 71
60
45
48
40 40
35
42
30
19
79
70
61
63
55
58 59
54
48
63
54
41
44
37
40
51
80 79
76
62
51 50
48 47
44 43 42
20
77
59 57 56
52
47 46 45 43 41 40
38
34 34
31
2014 2015
6. PG 6
Lower/Equal Trust in 19 CountriesIncreased Trust in 8 Countries
50%
Q11-14. [NGOs IN GENERAL] Below is a list of institutions. For each one, please indicate how much you trust that
institution to do what is right using a nine-point scale where one means that you “do not trust them at all” and nine
means that you “trust them a great deal.“ (Top 4 Box, Trust) Informed Publics, 27-country global total.
GLOBAL TRUST IN NGOS Informed
Public
% Trust
66
76
73
64
62 61 62
59
47
75 74
84
76 76
70
75
67
70
77
67 66
69
58
67
58
41
47
37
63
81
77
71 70
65 64 63
58
74 73 72 71 71
68 67 67 66
63 62 61
59
57
51
48
38 37
29
2014 2015
7. PG 7
Lower Trust in 11 CountriesIncreased Trust in 16 Countries
% Trust
50%
Q11-14. [GOVERNMENT IN GENERAL] Below is a list of institutions. For each one, please indicate how much you trust
that institution to do what is right using a nine-point scale where one means that you “do not trust them at all” and
nine means that you “trust them a great deal.” (Top 4 Box, Trust) Informed Publics, 27-country global total.
GLOBAL TRUST IN GOVERNMENT Informed
Public
45
88
53
76
53
60
27
49
42
32
37
34
28
19
24
18
21
75
63
56
51
54
45
43
45 45
23
17
48
90
82 82
72
65
54
50
43 42 41
37
33
30 28 26 26
70
59
49 49
45
42 41 40
33
21
16
2014 2015
8. PG 8
Lower Trust in 16 CountriesIncreased Trust in 11 Countries
% Trust
50%
Q11-14. [BUSINESS IN GENERAL] Below is a list of institutions. For each one, please indicate how much you trust that
institution to do what is right using a nine-point scale where one means that you “do not trust them at all” and nine
means that you “trust them a great deal.” (Top 4 Box, Trust) Informed Publics, 27-country global total.
GLOBAL TRUST IN BUSINESS Informed
Public
59
82 82
79
70
54
63
58
45 45
43
38
73
77
72 71
56
51
59
53
62
58 57
45
49
43
41
39
57
85 84 84
73
66
64
60
53
48
45 43
72 70
67
61
52
49 48 48 47 46 45 45
42 41
38 36
2014 2015
9. PG 9
FOUR KEY FACTORS
AFFECT TRUST IN BUSINESS
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN
INDUSTRY SECTOR
LEADERSHIP
ENTERPRISE TYPE
BUSINESS
All are showing similar patterns of a post-recovery increase in trust,
followed by new declines in the last 12 – 18 months
10. PG 10
50%
76% 75% 75% 74%
70% 69% 68% 65% 62%
51% 51% 50%
38% 36% 35% 34% 31%
TRUST IN COMPANIES HEADQUARTERED IN THE FOLLOWING COUNTRIES
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN
Most Trusted
Informed
Public
Q26-Q42. [TRACKING] Now we would like to focus on global companies headquartered in specific countries. Please
indicate how much you trust global companies headquartered in the following countries to do what is right. Use the
same nine-point scale, where one means that you “do not trust them at all” and nine means that you “trust them a
great deal.” (Top 4 Box, Trust) Informed Publics, 27-country global total.
11. PG 11
54%
61%
71%
50%
57%
68%
State-owned Big Business Family-owned
Informed
Public
GLOBAL HONG KONG
TRUST IN DIFFERENT TYPES OF BUSINESS, GLOBAL VS. HONG KONG
ENTERPRISE TYPE
48%
71%
51%
37%
50%
41%
State-owned Big Business Family-owned
Q15-17C. Thinking about different types of businesses, please indicate how much you trust each type of business
to do what is right using a nine-point scale, where one means that you “do not trust them at all” and nine means
that you “trust them a great deal.” (Top 4 Box, Trust) Informed Publics, in Hong Kong and 27-country global total.
2014
2015
2014
2015
13. PG 13
Q11-14. [TRACKING] Below is a list of institutions. For each one, please indicate how much you trust that institution to do
what is right using a nine-point scale, where one means that you “do not trust them at all” and nine means that you “trust
them a great deal.” (Top 4 Box Trust) Informed Publics in Hong Kong.
TRUST IN HONG KONG
BUSINESS
GOVERNMENT
MEDIA
NGOS
Informed
Public
77%
63%
2014 2015
#1
63%
41%
2014 2015
#4
49% 42%
2014 2015
#3
45% 42%
2014 2015
#2
14. PG 14
70%
76% 77%
63%
65%
68%
63%
41%
47%
60%
49%
42%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
2012 2013 2014 2015
INCREASINGLY EVAPORATION OF TRUST IN HONG KONG
NGOs
Business
Government
Media
Informed
Public
Q11-14. [TRACKING] Below is a list of institutions. For each one, please indicate how much you trust that institution to do
what is right using a nine-point scale, where one means that you “do not trust them at all” and nine means that you “trust
them a great deal.” (Top 4 Box Trust) Informed Publics in Hong Kong.
15. PG 15
59%
33% 30%
39%
57%
41% 41% 37%
70%
50%
57%
48%
82%
64%
55%
45%
25-34 35-44 45-54 55-64
THE GENERATION GAP
Informed
Public
52%
35% 31%
47%51%
40% 36%
49%
59%
51%
46%
53%
67%
60%
44%
51%
BUSINESSGOVERNMENT MEDIANGOS
General
Population
Informed
Public
General
Population
Q11-14. [TRACKING] Below is a list of institutions. For each one, please indicate how much you trust that institution to do
what is right using a nine-point scale, where one means that you “do not trust them at all” and nine means that you “trust
them a great deal.” (Top 4 Box Trust) Informed Publics in Hong Kong.
16. PG 16
Q178-182. When looking for general news and information, how much would you trust each type of source for general
news and information? Please use a nine-point scale, where one means that you “do not trust it at all” and nine means
that you “trust it a great deal.” (Top 4 Box, Trust) Informed Publics, in Hong Kong.
MEDIA SOURCES
Informed
Public
76%
77% 79%
54%
64%
64% 65%
57%
50%
56%
50%
49%
63%
67%
65%
58%
43%
58%
46%
43%
2012 2013 2014 2015
Traditional Media
Online Search Engines
Social Media
Hybrid Media
Owned Media
17. PG 17
GO-TO MEDIA SOURCES SHIFT
Informed
Public
TELEVISIONNEWSPAPERS ONLINE SEARCH
General Information Breaking News To Confirm/Validate News
Q183. On a typical day, what is the first source that you go to for general information about business? Informed Publics,
Informed Publics, in Hong Kong.
Q184. What is the first source you go to for breaking news about business? Informed Publics, in Hong Kong.
Q185. Which of the following sources do you turn to MOST often to confirm/validate information on breaking news about
business? Informed Publics, in Hong Kong.
29%
29%
21%
34%
20% 17%
18%
27%
32%
2013 2014 2015
22%
19% 19%
28%
26%
21%
21%
31%
27%
2013 2014 2015
15%
13%
14%
28%
27%
22%23%
28% 29%
2013 2014 2015
The First Source for…
18. PG 18
Q387-396. Thinking about the information you consume on social networking sites, such as Facebook, MySpace, LinkedIn, Meebo,
Orkut, Qzone, RenRen, how much do you trust the information posted from each of the following authors or content creators? (Top 4 Box,
Trust) Informed Publics, in Hong Kong.
Q397-406. Thinking about the information you consume on content sharing sites, such as YouTube, how much do you trust the
information posted from each of the following authors or content creators? Informed Publics, in Hong Kong.
Q407 - 415 Thinking about the information you consume on online-only news and information sources, such as The Huffington Post,
Buzzfeed, Techcrunch, etc., how much do you trust the information posted from each of the following authors or content creators?
Informed Publics, in Hong Kong.
28%
39%
39%
43%
43%
48%
51%
55%
65%
66%
Brands I don’t use
Celebrities
A company CEO
A well-known online personality
Elected officials
Employees of a company
A journalist
Companies I use
An academic expert
My friends and family
Informed
Public
TRUSTED
NEUTRAL
DISTRUSTED
MOST TRUSTED CONTENT CREATORS
50%
19. PG 19
Q130-143. [TRACKING] Below is a list of people. In general, when forming an opinion of a company, if you heard
information about a company from each person, how credible would the information be--extremely credible, very credible,
somewhat credible, or not credible at all? (Top 2 Box, Trust) Informed Publics, in Hong Kong.
LEADERSHIP CREDIBILITY
70%
64%
71%
65%
57%
47% 47%
45%
71%
65% 64%
56%
43% 43%
39% 39%
Academic or
Industry Expert
Company
Technical Expert
A Person
Like Yourself
NGO
Representative
Regular
Employee
Government
Official
or Regulator
Financial or
Industry Analyst
CEO
2014 2015
More Trust Less Trust
Informed
Public
21. PG 21
16 KEY ATTRIBUTES
TO BUILDING TRUST
INTEGRITY
Has ethical business practices
Takes responsible actions to address an issue or crisis
Has transparent and open business practices
ENGAGEMENT
Listens to customer needs and feedback
Treats employees well
Places customers ahead of profits
Communicates frequently and honestly on the state of its business
PRODUCTS & SERVICES
Offers high-quality products or services
Is an innovator of new products, services or ideas
PURPOSE
Works to protect and improve the environment
Addresses society’s needs in its everyday business
Creates programs that positively impact the local community
Partners with NGOs, government and 3rd parties to address societal needs
OPERATIONS
Has highly-regarded and widely-admired top leadership
Ranks on a global list of top companies
Delivers consistent financial returns to investors
Edelman Trust Barometer
research reveals 16 specific
attributes that build trust.
These can be grouped into five
performance clusters listed here
in rank order of importance.
Q80-Q95. [TRACKING] How important is each of the following actions to building your trust in a company? Use a nine-
point scale where one means that action is “not at all important to building your trust” and nine means it is
“extremely important to building your trust” in a company. (Top 2 Box, Very/Extremely Important) Informed Public,
27-country global total.
22.
23. PG 23
13%
15%
10%
12%
14%
12%
12%
12%
16%
13%
9%
13%
14%
16%
12%
16%
23%
19%
20%
22%
25%
25%
29%
25%
36%
32%
29%
32%
31%
36%
32%
35%
Delivers Consistent Financial Returns To Investors
Ranks On A Global List Of Top Companies, Such As Best To Work For Or Most Admired
Has Highly-Regarded And Widely Admired Top Leadership
Partners With NGOs, Government And Third Parties To Address Societal Issues
Addresses Society's Needs In Its Everyday Business
Creates Programs That Positively Impact The Local Community
Works To Protect And Improve The Environment
Is An Innovator Of New Products, Services Or Ideas
Offers High Quality Products Or Services
Communicates Frequently And Honestly On The State Of Its Business
Places Customers Ahead Of Profits
Listens To Customer Needs And Feedback
Treats Employees Well
Has Transparent And Open Business Practices
Takes Responsible Actions To Address An Issue Or A Crisis
Has Ethical Business Practices
TRUST BUILDING ATTRIBUTES
Informed
Public
BUSINESS IMPORTANCE VS. COMPANY PERFORMANCE
OPERATIONS
PURPOSE
PRODUCTS
INTEGRITY
ENGAGEMENT
Gap
-19
-20
-20
-17
-19
-20
-19
-20
-13
-17
-13
-11
-10
-10
-4
-10
Q80-Q95. [TRACKING] How important is each of the following actions to building your TRUST in a company? Use a nine-point scale where one means that action is “not
at all important to building your trust” and nine means it is “extremely important to building your trust” in a company. Informed Publics, Hong Kong.
Q114-129. Please rate businesses in general on how well you think they are performing on each of the following attributes. Use a 9-point scale where one means they
are "performing extremely poorly" and nine means they are "performing extremely well". Informed Publics, Hong Kong.
*Excludes don’t know responses
24. PG 24
BUILDING AND DEFENDING TRUST
53% 37% 32%
Fails to
Contribute
to the Greater
Good
Does Not Help Me
and My Family
Live a Healthy Life
Lacks Economic
Growth
59% 42% 47%
Produces Economic
Growth
Helps Me and My
Family
Live a Fulfilling Life
Allows Me to Be
a Productive
Member of
Society
Reasons Trust in
Business INCREASES
Informed
Public
Q328-329. For which of the following reasons, if any, has your trust in each institution listed below increased over the past year?
(Top 4 Box, Trust) Informed Publics, in Hong Kong. Q330-331. For which of the following reasons, if any, has your trust in each
institution listed below decreased over the past year? (Top 4 Box, Trust) Informed Publics, in Hong Kong.
Q249-252. Please indicate how much you agree or disagree with the following statements? (Top 4 Box, Trust) Informed Publics, in
Hong Kong.
Reasons Trust in
Business DECREASES
36% 49%
26. PG 26
BEHAVIOR BASED ON TRUST IN HONG KONG
WHY TRUST MATTERS Informed
Public
Q371-376. Thinking back over the past 12 months, have you taken any of the following actions in relation to companies
that you trust? Please answer yes or no to each action. Informed Publics, Hong Kong.
Q377-380. Still thinking about the past 12 months, have you taken any of the following actions in relation to companies
that you do not trust? Please answer yes or no to each action. Informed Publics, Hong Kong.
Trusted CompaniesDistrusted Companies
Refused to buy products/services Chose to buy products/services-60% 75%
Criticized them to a friend/colleague
Recommended them to a
friend/colleague
-60% 59%
Paid more for products/services 50%
Shared negative
opinions online
Shared positive opinions
online-37% 44%
Defended
company
42%I sold shares I bought shares-26%
23%