Janet Lee Johnson | The Art of Marketing

Edelman has posted their annual report on public trust, the 2011 Edelman Trust Barometer. As a marketer, I rely on it as an important benchmark that captures the specifics of undercurrents we mostly ‘feel’ during any given year.

As such, it’s a great tool to use to understand where, how many times, and what kind of information people long for, in order to trust a brand or organization.

From the executive summary:

“The data portray a savvy consumer who turns first to search engines to see what is available on the topic of interest, and who then seeks out traditional media to confirm or expand on what he or she has learned. Information ubiquity has changed the playbook for corporate communications, the data suggest, signaling to companies that they cannot simply be present with their messages, but rather must be omnipresent through an approach that encompasses mainstream, new, social, and owned media.”

In other words, brands need to be at the top of the search page; in the news (online is good); and elsewhere in social media. And frankly, people don’t need to be bombarded, even a few of authentic touches can engender trust.

There are more fantastic infographics, video presentations, etc. on the Edelman Trust Barometer page.

Mine it for your own organization’s nuggets. The information is, indeed, gold.