Consumers trust some industries more than others. They expect large companies to address sociopolitical problems, such as climate change and the affordability of drugs in developing countries. And their expectations vary significantly depending on the industry and geography involved. These survey findings1 suggest that to win the public’s trust, companies should build a deeper and more nuanced understanding of what consumers think about and expect from them so that they can tailor their approaches accordingly (see “The trust gap between consumers and corporations”).
We asked consumers to rate the importance of a wide range of broad and sector-specific issues, as well as the performance of companies in six industries in addressing each of them.2 The research covered a mix of industries—electric power, financial services, food and beverage, petroleum, pharmaceuticals, and retailing—that are, to varying degrees, consumer facing and subject to regulation and that have recently experienced significant public scrutiny. In addition, the panelists responded to questions about perceptions of these industries and the specific issues facing them.
Across the industries we examined, consumers identified important areas where they think that companies are doing an unsatisfactory job: transparency about business practices and the risks of products and...