A McCann study of more than 20,000 people across 20 markets finds over two thirds of consumers will walk from a brand they do not trust, and 55% think brands were more truthful 20 years ago. Trust is retention wearing a different shirt, and it is getting harder to hold.
Trust is not a brand value you put on a wall. It is the reason someone buys again instead of leaving. Lose it and you are buying every customer twice.
A new McCann study has put a hard number on something most owners feel but rarely measure. Over two thirds of consumers will walk away from a brand they do not trust. The research, "The Truth About Global Brands", surveyed more than 20,000 people across 20 markets, and the findings point to a trust problem that is getting worse, not better.
The detail is uncomfortable. 72% of people say it is more important than ever to prioritise truth, yet 55% reckon brands were more truthful 20 years ago than they are today. So trust matters more while brands are seen as less trustworthy. That gap is the whole story.
There is an AI wrinkle on top of it. 76% of respondents fear that before long they will not be able to tell a real human from a computer-generated one. As more of what customers see is machine made, the brands that feel genuine become worth more, not less.
Why it matters
Trust is retention wearing a different shirt. A customer who trusts you comes back, refers you and forgives the odd mistake. A customer who does not is gone the second something cheaper shows up. The cost of replacing them lands straight on your acquisition budget, and acquisition is the most expensive money you spend.
Share of consumers who believe brands were more truthful 20 years ago than they are today
This matters more in a market where customers research with AI before they ever reach you. By the time they land on your site they have already formed a view. If the picture does not match the promise, the trust is gone before you said a word.
What to do about it
Trust is slow to build and fast to lose, and it pays out in the cheapest customers you will ever get. The brands that guard it are the ones that stop paying full price for every sale.