Google Is One of the Most Trusted Brands in America

Global data intelligence company, Morning Consult, released its first ever “Most Trusted Brands” survey. The results, issued earlier this year, are a fascinating look at where Americans place their trust in a time where trust can make or break a brand. You won’t find any social media or news networks anywhere near the top 20 results. You will, however, find Google, at No. 2. More importantly, Google ranks No. 1 for Gen Z and Millennials.

Meanwhile, as Google’s numbers rise, trust in mainstream media has seen steady declines in recent years. Morning Consult found that trust in the media reached an all-time low earlier this year, with both steep declines among both sides of the political coin. A Gallup poll conducted last year, found similar results, with 58% of respondents either showing little or no trust in mass media, including newspapers, TV and radio.

Social media is faring even worse, having been plagued with bullying, misinformation, and privacy issues in recent years. Facebook, in particular, has faced a rising tide of criticism, currently embroiled in the #StopHateForProfit movement, which alleges that Facebook has refused to remove hate speech from its platform, and is responsible for inciting violence in the wake of the death of George Floyd and the subsequent protests throughout the country.

As of July 7, over 1,000 companies have committed to pulling their advertising from Facebook, including Fortune 100 companies like Ford, Boeing, and Verizon. The movement has led to many calling for an all-out boycott of the platform as well. According to Google Trends, searches for “Facebook Boycott” soared in late June, with interest reaching peak popularity on June 29.

With both traditional and new media being seen as biased or dishonest, how can companies and individuals convince the general public that they are trustworthy? In a time where trust is such a valuable asset, having an “objective” outlet determine your reputation could make or break your company. Given the results of the Morning Consult study, it appears that while we may not trust the source of the news, we will trust Google to decide which results we should see.

Social media listening platforms have dominated the digital monitoring marketplace in recent years, but how can you make sure you’re making a difference in the place where people actually believe what they see? When a crisis strikes, are you able to track your brand’s reputation on the most trusted digital outlet in real time?

At Lightbox Search, these are the questions that drive our research, and inform our product offerings. We’ve long believed that a company’s digital reputation is uniquely tied to its search results, and as trust in social media continues to fall, we know that search results will more and more be seen as a brand’s digital front door.

Do you need to know how you, your organization or campaign measure up? Schedule a real-time analysis of your brand’s search results and find out how the most trusted company in America is judging you. Whether you’re building your brand, protecting your established reputation, or fighting off a crisis, Lightbox Search will give you the insights and solutions to make sure you’re making an impact where it really matters.