The Co-op is the most trusted brand in Jersey, with Guernsey Post being the most trusted in Guernsey.
This is the finding from the latest IGR Brand Reputation Index, which measures the reputation of selected organisations in Guernsey and Jersey and monitors which brands resonate most with island residents.
As part of the Brand Reputation Index, Island Global Research (IGR) asked respondents which organisations operating in their island they would describe as ‘trustworthy’. In Jersey, the Co-op was the most trusted brand overall, while in Guernsey, the most trusted organisation overall was Guernsey Post.
We can also reveal that the most trusted brands by sector are:
Customer experience, authenticity and trust
In summary, the research finds the following lessons for organisations in the Channel Islands:
- Customer experience is the foundation of trust. The Brand Reputation trust score is, to a large extent, a reflection of how good your customer service is perceived to be by both customers and non-customers.
- Trust is also a reflection of whether your brand is perceived to be authentic and live the values it promotes itself on. This means, how you run your business is becoming increasingly important, as consumers become ethically and socially aware.
The research suggests that messaging on corporate social responsibility (CSR) is effective in generating and sustaining trust when it demonstrates practical ways in which your organisation has embedded its values into its business practices. In turn, this messaging is likely to be at its most successful when built on a reputation for providing a great customer experience.
Customer experience
Moments involving great customer service were the most common builders of trust.
Respondents talked about times local brands had gone the extra mile for them; provided helpful, personal service; listened to them and had been ready to admit and apologise for mistakes; solved problems and provided knowledgeable advice; communicated well; and, very importantly, had done what they said they would.
Delivering consistently on these aspects appears to be key, as it can only take one experience of poor customer service or a perceived lack of reliability to break that trust.
Values and ethics
The next generation of consumers are increasingly looking for more than outstanding customer experiences. They expect organisations to be run ethically, and for brands to live up to the values they say they stand for.
If a brand is perceived to be genuine in this regard, trust is built. Meanwhile, a perceived lack of authenticity, or reports of unethical business practices, can erode trust.
For example, if an organisation promotes itself on caring about the environment, it is important that environmental sustainability is meaningfully built into business practices. For a brand to be perceived as authentic, marketing and communication on corporate social responsibility (CSR) should demonstrate this is the case.
Similarly, caring for the community goes beyond sponsoring events and raising money for charity. The moments that resonated with respondents and generated trust tended to be ones that involve an organisation’s everyday product / service. For example, autism friendly ‘quiet hours’ in the supermarket; retailers making deliveries to the vulnerable during COVID; an estate agent’s pet-friendly rental promotion scheme inspired by the difficulty in finding a suitable home for someone with an emotional support animal.
On other ethical issues, the comments suggest that transparency, and a desire to put people first are drivers of trust for some.
