Australians avoid brands that are dishonest about their sustainability practices

“While more brands are working to reflect the big issues of the day by adopting ethical stances, this research shows that they need to not just act with purpose, but also with integrity – really understanding and representing the values of the customers they are trying to target,” said Alicia Skubick, chief marketing officer at Trustpilot.

“Our research gives brands a roadmap to honesty, ensuring they connect to the growing numbers of consumers who want political, environmental or sociological issues taken seriously. The reality is – thanks to the growing number of consumers sharing and seeking information from independent sources such as review platforms and social media – brands that aren’t acting with their customers’ values in mind now risk being left behind. These days a business is no longer what it tells you it is, but what the consumers say it is.”

The research surveyed 1,000 Australian consumers and looked at the factors that may affect and impact a consumer’s purchasing decisions.

What are the survey’s findings?

• The results reveal that brands that ‘appear to be dishonest or boastful in their marketing’ by exaggerating their environmental impact were the biggest turn-off for Australians.

• 55% (549) of respondents said it would make them unlikely to purchase from the brand.

• The second highest, at 54% (541), was brands that have ‘unfair or harmful practices’ against employees and suppliers, followed by brands that ‘ignore customer experiences and feedback’ at 51% (514).

• The research also asked consumers where they go to find out independent information about a brand’s honesty, including its position on social, political and environmental issues before making purchasing decisions.

• The top three sources were social media (46%), friends and family (45%) and user-generated review websites (43%).

• In contrast, 32% of consumers said they would seek out this information from mainstream media such as TV and radio.