Survey Says…

We try to lighten things up a bit on Fridays as we head into the weekend. With today’s tip, we’re not sure whether to laugh or to cry. According to the 2021 version of an annual study conducted by IPSOS and shared on MediaPost, advertising is NO LONGER the least trusted profession! Cue the band and break out the champagne!

The 2021 edition of the global most-trusted professions study ranks advertising executives third from the bottom, just ahead of politicians and cabinet officials. Hey, that’s progress! Here is the chart for the most trusted to least trusted, in order:

Despite having some fun with these survey results, even at our own expense, there is no denying the importance of trust in the work we do consulting our advertising partners. According to research from our friends at Borrell Associates, these are the top five things, in order of importance, that influence radio buyers trust in their rep:

Ability to describe audience/capabilities of media product

Overall knowledge about marketing and advertising

Knowledge of the client’s business or industry

Connection to the local market

Personal manner (personality, eye contact, handshake)

The great news is that you are in complete control of each of those five elements. As you head into the weekend, find comfort in the fact that we are no longer the least trusted profession. So, commit yourself to focus on the five things advertisers look at when determining your trustworthiness.

Happy Friday!

Jeff Schmidt is the SVP of Professional Development. You can reach him at Jeff.Schmidt@RAB.com. You can also connect with him on Twitter and LinkedIn.