New Brand Believability™ report studies perceptions of top global brands
Will & Grail has released the findings of its Brand Believability™ report, studying how consumers view the positive impact of some of the largest companies in the world.
The survey uses our proprietary Brand Believability methodology, designed to measure and understand the factors influencing public perception of a brand’s alignment with core purpose. For benchmarking, purpose is defined as having a profound, positive impact on lives, communities and the world.
“Brands shape nearly every experience we have in life,” Will & Grail CEO Mark O’Renick said. “It’s important to people that the mission and meaning behind those brands aligns with their own values, and that doesn’t always happen. With Brand Believability we can see where organizations are connecting with audiences based on a core sense of purpose. We can also see where they are going wrong and what they can do to close gaps, making the relationship stronger for everyone.”
Data for the report was gathered in an online consumer survey asking respondents to rate select organizations across five industries (automobile, technology, banking, cellular service and non-profit). The final report includes both quantitative scoring and qualitative commentary to understand the context of people’s perceptions, as well as industry and company-specific analysis. Key findings from the report indicated:
Consumers made Google the most believable brand we surveyed, including non-profit organizations.
Perception driving a brand’s believability isn’t always accurate. Ford, for instance, is given more credit for manufacturing in America even though Toyota has the most American-made car.
Large banks suffered the lowest believability across the board, indicating a significant negative industry bias.
Non-profit organizations are thought to be impactful, even if consumers don’t know their exact purpose.
“These results show us that even the biggest brands have a believability challenge,” O’Renick said. “The report highlights the fact that consumers want more than just functionality from an organization, the want a deeper connection and meaning that brands aren’t always providing. The first step is to define a standard for what a purpose-driven brand should be, which is why we’re excited about the potential of our Brand Believability initiative.”
View the full report here.