How Public Media Sponsorship Can Help Business Leaders Close the Trust Gap

PwC’s third annual Trust in Business Survey continues to show that consumers, employees, and business executives overwhelmingly agree that trust in business is imperative. Why? Because, as the 2023 study finds, there is widespread agreement that trust creates value. Indeed, consider that 91% of business executives agree (including 50% who strongly agree) that their ability to earn and maintain trust improves the bottom line. 

This suggests that business leaders would want to do everything they can to build trust. Surprisingly however, the same research study reveals that businesses haven’t in fact effectively leveraged this opportunity and that there is a sizable trust gap, with business execs overestimating how much they’re trusted: 

84% of business executives think that customers highly trust the company, yet only 27% of customers say the same. 

Talk about a disconnect. 

So what can business leaders do to build trust with consumers? According to PwC, consumers are more likely to consider data security and high-quality customer service, products and services as most important.

Business leaders would do well then to position (and conduct) themselves as a quality company with safe, ethical business practices. And there is no better media environment in which to do just that than public media. 

Public media is synonymous with trust. We know that: 

• According to the 2023 NPR Impact Study, 97% of NPR listeners agree that NPR provides them with news and information they can trust. 
• For the 20th consecutive year, a nationwide study confirmed that PBS and its member stations are rated #1 in public trust

And our trusted brands build trust and positive brand perceptions for our sponsors by association: