Connected world drives ‘consumer trust divide’

DUBAI / Emirates Business

Today’s connected world is driving a ‘consumer trust divide’ between suspicious minds in developed nations and more
accepting attitudes in emerging count-ries, according to Kantar TNS’s latest
Connected Life research.
Kantar TNS surveyed 70,000 people across 56 countries and conducted 104 in-depth interviews as part of the 2017 Connected Life study. The research explored consumer trust in brands in relation to four themes: technology, content, data, and e-commerce. The findings show that while European and US consumers’ trust in brands is being undermined by the poor deployment of advertising and content, consumers in countries across Asia, Middle East and Africa, in contrast, appear to be embracing brand content and messaging though concerns on privacy remain.
The findings also show that many consumers are choosing privacy over convenience, preferring a greater say in decisions that impact them even if that means compromising on speed or ease: 35% of consumers in Saudi Arabia and 39% in UAE object to connected devices monitoring their activities even if it makes their lives easier.
The research also reveals that mistrust is prevalent in many markets, but that it is not universal. While just 9% of Swedish consumers consider the content they see on social media reliable, half of online users in MEA trust the information they consume on social media. Trust in large global brands varies significantly between emerging and developed markets: in Saudi Arabia and UAE, half of online population (50% and 47% respectively) trust big global brands, but consumer trust falls significantly in developed markets like the USA and France, where just 21% and 15%, respectively, trust big global brands.
Commenting on the findings, Stephen Hillebrand, CEO, Kantar Insights Middle East & North Africa said: “In our connected world, the notion of ‘truth’ has come under increasing pressure. Given this, the default for many consumers is suspicion, not acceptance.
“The level of suspicion differs starkly depending on where you are in the world. In developed countries, the erosion of trust has been much more dramatic – driven by consumer experience with new technology, online content, usage of personal data, and ecommerce. In contrast, overall trust levels in Middle East & Africa are relatively high – giving regional brands an opportunity.”