Marks & Spencer one to trust, Cohn & Wolfe

Marks & Spencer is Britain’s most authentic brand, according to Cohn & Wolfe research which also found that only one in four people feel like brands can be trusted.

The study, which surveyed 15,000 consumers across 15 markets, flags up the opportunity for companies to overcome this issue, with 62% of respondents saying they would be more interested in buying from organisations they believe to be authentic. Globally, Amazon topped the rankings of the Cohn & Wolfe Authentic 100. The analysis identified seven key drivers and how individual brands and organisations fared in delivering against them.

- Protects customer privacy and data

- Treats customers well

- Delivers on promises

- Uses high-quality ingredients and components

- Is genuine and real, not artificial

- Acts with integrity at all times

- Communicates honestly

Scored out of 100 against public perception of these attributes, Marks & Spencer clocked in with 92.33. Boots (89.65), Amazon (88.53), Lego (88.31) and Dyson (87.6) completed the top five. Globally, tech companies dominated the study. Amazon lead the way, followed by Apple, Microsoft, Google and PayPal. In the UK, respondents revealed that they did not see social media sites as being authentic. Twitter (39.22), Snapchat (37.83) and Instagram (36.87) all also scored low, against a technology-sector average of 58.85. Facebook scored 52.55.  

Scott Wilson, Cohn & Wolfe’s UK CEO, says: “If people are convinced that you are authentic, our research shows they are more likely to listen, or purchase. Beyond that, they are more likely to recommend your brand to others – and to stick with you during times of crisis. This shows that authenticity is a key driver of reputation. And to be authentic, a brand must be reliable, respectful and real. Brands should consider how authentic they are and what they can do to be more authentic – the business benefits will be very real."