Havas Media UK’s Jackie Lyons explains why top brands may want to sidestep politics and focus on what brings people together instead. Over the past year, we have experienced a significant erosion of consumer trust across our industry and beyond. As the general election looms on July 4, and with the rise of synthetic news, this erosion has reached unprecedented levels in recent months, creating a crisis of consumer trust.
Havas Media Network’s insights team conducted a survey last month in partnership with YouGov to better understand how election season is set to contribute to the trust deficit. Unsurprisingly, we found that political distrust is at a notable high, and this sentiment has started to seep into our own industry. Twice as many people are likely to distrust a brand involved in politics rather than trust it.
Trust is an important driver of brand equity, but in a world where consumer skepticism is growing, maintaining trust requires a careful and considered approach, avoiding the pitfalls that can further alienate and divide audiences. An era of misinformation In addition to the usual manipulation of truth associated with political discourse, AI-generated content, including deepfakes and synthetic news, has made it increasingly difficult for consumers to distinguish between what is real and what is fake. Our survey found that 60% of respondents are concerned about the impact of AI on upcoming elections.
With July 4 marking the first general election to be battled.
