Large authenticity gap between brands and consumers globally

There is a large "authenticity gap" between brands and consumers, with 75 per cent of nearly 12,000 respondents to a survey covering indicating that brands and companies have a credibility problem. The Authentic 100, an annual index of global brands ranked by consumer perception of authenticity, by Cohn & Wolfe featured Disney, Amazon, Apple, Samsung, Lego, Ford, Google and Coca-Cola among the top 20 brands. Among the key findings of the study are - high global cynicism (only seven per cent in the UK, France, Germany and Spain and five per cent in Sweden described brands as "open and honest"); privacy matters globally, "protecting customer data and privacy" ranked as the fourth most important attribute of authenticity today); the authenticity opportunity (nearly nine out of 10 consumers are willing to take action to reward a brand for its authenticity) and authenticity as a personal experience (consumers are looking for daily, real-life reminders that they can count on brands as more people prioritise "high quality" and "delivering on promises" than more lofty measures like "social responsibility" and "environmental responsibility").