• by Ray Schultz , Columnist, August 11, 2022

Considering whether to send privacy emails or other communications showing how transparent you are about data? Do it. A majority of consumers say these messages make them trust a brand more, according to Consumer Data Trust Index H1 2022, a study by Jebbit. 

And it’s no small thing to gain that trust because consumers are in a suspicious mood — 71% support federal data privacy legislation, and 60% are in favor of Apple and Google’s privacy changes, although 30% are unaware of the latter.

Still, 63% are spending more time shopping online than they were prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

What are consumers saying? For starters, 46% contend that an irrelevant ad from a business based on past purchase data decrease their trust in the brand. And there are now many more irrelevant ads, according to 40%. Yet 24% feel they have no effect.  

And 49% say that privacy emails build trust, although 26% say they have no impact and 24% claim they actually diminish trust. 

Jebbit surveyed 2,500 consumers, asking them: "On a scale of 1-10, how much do you trust [this brand] with collecting your personal data in exchange for more relevant offers, ads, and recommendations?" 

Enough suspense. Here are the most trusted brands: 

1. PepsiCo — up from 41 last year
2. Lowes — up from 8 
3. Walgreens — Up from 20 
4. Amazon — Down from 1
5. Lululemon — Up from 90
6. Starbucks — Up from 54 
7. The Home Depot — Up from 11
8. Macy’s — Up from 47 
9. Bonobos — Up from 99
10. Kraft-Heinz — Up from 43

One thing is clear from this ranking — the leap by Bonobos from #99 to #9 shows that DTC brands have an advantage. How so? They are built on “nimble platforms and with lean teams—primarily because they do not have to undergo the arduous process needed to transform a legacy brick-and-mortar business model to a digital-first model,” the study states.  

What’s more, the study finds: “Many D2C brands also seem to understand the needs of digital consumers, enabling them to focus on delivering an engaging and relevant user experience.”

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