Transparency has in the past been pegged by consumers as one of the core values that brands should embody. Data from Sprout Social confirms the importance that adults in the US place on brand transparency, with 86% saying that it’s more important than before. But what exactly does transparency mean, and how can brands demonstrate it?
What’s Transparency?
The 1,000 adults surveyed for the report defined transparency mostly along the lines of openness (59%), clarity (53%) and honesty (49%). Fewer associated it with authenticity (26%) – another important value for consumers – or with integrity (23%) and communication (19%).
Sometimes it’s just as instructive to define something by what it’s not… So here are actions on social media that demonstrate a lack of transparency, according to a majority of respondents:
- Withholding information (69%);
- Ignoring customer questions (68%); and
- Ignoring employee questions (58%).
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