Recent research conducted by strategic insights business Pollinate sheds light on the evolving landscape of trust among Australians, highlighting farmers and scientific researchers as the most trusted sectors. The findings, derived from Pollinate’s The Australia Pulse study, depict shifts in public trust over the past two years.
Farming, now positioned at the top in 2023, has ascended from its third-place ranking last year. Scientific research, which held the leading position in the previous year, now occupies the second spot, with the medical sector closely following in third place.
Kirsty Bloore, research director at Pollinate, advised a proactive approach in addressing audience needs to prevent erosion of trust in certain sectors, stating, “The lesson here for brands and businesses is to understand where they currently sit with the public trust and identify how they can address their audiences needs more clearly before the public loses trust altogether in some sectors.”
The not-for-profit sector maintains its fourth-place standing, a consistent trend over the past two years. Public education also remains steady in fifth place. Conversely, the Federal Government has experienced a decline in trust, dropping from 10th place in 2022 to being excluded from the top 10 this year. Similarly, State and Territory governments slipped from eighth place in 2022 to outside the top 10 in the current year.
The telecommunications sector, absent from the top 10 last year, secures the 10th position this year, though the research predates the recent Optus network outage.
Howard Parry-Husbands, CEO of Pollinate, underscores the study’s clear indication that the most trusted sectors, such as farming, scientific research, and medical, prioritise the well-being of others. Said, Parry-Husbands “With the issues of cost of living, rental crisis and the economy being top of mind for many Australians, people are losing trust in sectors that prioritise their own financial gain. They also are trusting governments less and less.”
What sectors Australians do trust the most?*
The research, conducted in August of this year, surveyed 1,000 individuals aged 14 to 64 across Australia. Pollinate operates under The Influence Group, an independent marketing business that also owns Social Soup.
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Top Image: Howard Parry-Husbands & Kirsty Bloore