The GRBN global survey on trust in institutions is primarily focused on the public’s trust (or otherwise) in market research, data analytics and polling – both overall and in terms of appropriate data protection. But a bonus of a study such as this is that it can also reveal insights of considerable importance to society and the world. One of these in this case is the collapse of trust in the American government, most especially among African Americans and the young.

Americans no longer trust their government

While governments around the world are certainly not the most trusted institutions, ranking 9^th out of 15 types of organizations measured globally, they nonetheless manage to eek out a net trust index (trust minus do not trust) of +13. Not in the United States. There, only 27% have trust in their government, while 39% actively distrust it. A net index of -12. That measure widens even further when respondents were asked if, as a result of Covid-19, they trusted their government more or less. While only 14% said that their trust in government had increased, a staggering 41% said that it had declined.

Trust is rock-bottom among African Americans and students

While low and declining trust in the American government is reflected across all demographic groups, it is at unimaginably low levels among African Americans and the student population – and getting seriously worse.

Given that the effects of the Covid-19 crisis have been more acutely felt among minority groups in the U.S. (as measured by infection rates, deaths and economic damage), it is perhaps not surprising that the government’s response has resulted in a decrease in trust among African Americans. The same erosion among students, however, suggests a massive crisis of confidence among the country’s generations of the future.

Americans (used to) trust their police – but African Americans do not

Generally speaking, Americans are slightly more likely to trust their police than is the case globally. While 53% of people across the countries surveyed show trust in law enforcement, that figure rises to 60% in the United States. The same phenomenon is seen in net trust scores – +37 worldwide and +44 in the U.S.

But that is definitively not the case for African Americans. Only 36% of this group actively trust the police and, even though their net trust score is still positive (+7), it still lags significantly behind their non-Black fellow citizens.

More poignantly, this survey was carried out before the eruption of protests and disturbances that followed the death of George Floyd. One can only imagine what the numbers would look like now.

Health authorities – a lone trusted voice

Among all the governmental authorities measured (government, police, secret service, health authorities), in only one is there agreement between the USA and the rest of the world: trust in health authorities.  Worldwide, this segment of public authority is trusted by a plurality, with a net trust score of +45 globally and +43 in the United States. What’s more, such trust has only increased since the onset of the coronavirus crisis (+15 worldwide and +14 in the U.S.).

So, what are we to make of this?

What this study suggests, perhaps to the surprise of only a few, is that America is in the midst of a profound crisis of trust. The United States government has lost the trust of its citizens, and law enforcement – at the time of the survey – was on the way to doing the same. Events since then would suggest that this crisis has only deepened. Most importantly, it is clear that this trust deficit is at its most acute in the African American community, which feels marginalized and cannot trust those who have sworn to “serve and protect”.

What is also striking is the loss of trust among students. Establishment politicians should be extremely worried by this, especially since this cohort has strongly endorsed ideas put forward by Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren that, until now, have been scorned as ‘socialism’. But perhaps this portends a radical shift in American politics and society over the next decade that will surprise us all.

Simon Chadwick

Cambiar Consulting

If there is just one book that an incoming corporate Head of Insights absolutely needs to read, it is the Building Business Impact Handbook. Come to think of it, any Head of Insights should read it. Because this is not just a handbook or a manual. It is a bible that shows exactly how to increase the business impact of an insights function on an organization – and, in doing so, increase its own resources and budget.

The book’s key premise is that actually measuring the business impact of consumer insights on the success of an organization is fundamentally linked to the strategic value that the insights function offers. It not only presents comprehensive quantitative and qualitative evidence to build the case for measuring business impact but also goes on to provide a detailed framework of exactly how to do so, complete with processes and templates.

The Building Business Impact Handbook makes it clear that measuring impact requires a new mindset and is a cultural decision. To that end, it is required reading not only for insights leaders but also all of their staff and associates. In order to make this an economic possibility, GRBN offers licenses that are very reasonably priced and that deliver both the Handbook and the templates to all in the insights function.

I thoroughly recommend all Heads of Insights to buy a license and to start on the journey to measurement and to building their business impact.

Simon Chadwick

Cambiar

Since the initial ROI of Insights Handbook was first published, a quiet revolution has been building in the insights industry. Slowly at first, but with ever-increasing momentum, corporate Insights functions have started to embrace not only the thought that measuring the impact of their insights on the business as a whole is a good idea, but also that it can and should be done.

The ROI of Insights team, consisting of GRBN, Cambiar and supported by committed sponsors, including Gongos, inc. and RTi Research (Gold sponsors of this Handbook), has been assisting banks, pharmaceutical companies, insurance firms and many others all over the world in implementing systematic measurement and reporting systems that demonstrate to management the incredible return on investment that comes from market research and data analytics.

Insights can be seen as an Investment and not just a cost

For many Insights functions, the results have been dramatic. Not only have their budgets been increased but they have more resources, greater influence in decision-making, and are viewed with increased respect. No longer are research and analytics seen as line items under “costs” in the P&L, they are now viewed as bona fide investments in the future success of the enterprise.

 

 

For the team, this was no surprise. This was precisely what they had seen in their research (conducted with BCG) of companies already measuring ROI and impact. This was what the team held out to these new pioneers of measurement as the promised rewards of implementation.

Collaboration and Creativity on the increase

But there were also other consequences that were surprises – and pleasant ones at that.

The first of these was that measurement encouraged far more collaboration in organizations than before. Because so much emphasis is laid by the measurement system on predicting impact while designing projects – asking the question “What is the likely ROI of this project?” – it became easier for researchers and analysts to pose another question: “I wonder if we could increase ROI if we brought so and so into it?” As such, we see more collaboration between market research, strategy, competitive intelligence and various different forms of analytics throughout the organization. In some cases, this even resulted in some of these functions being brought together into a new super-Insights function.

In addition, we have seen more creativity in the way in which Insights professionals are addressing business issues. In some cases, greater control over their own budgets has allowed departments to experiment more and to think of new solutions to old issues. This also extends to greater scrutiny of what the organization already knows about certain issues before diving into research that may have been repetitive and/or redundant.

Finally, we have seen that if Insights functions invite their key suppliers into the measurement loop and encourage them to seek ways to improve impact, their relationships with those agencies deepens and improves dramatically. They become true partners.

Join the Revolution

If you are not already a member of the revolution, we strongly urge you to join us and to find out for yourselves just what an impact measuring your Business Impact has on your own department’s fortunes!

Simon Chadwick

Cambiar Consulting