Chapter 08. Trust is in the Network

With the power of social networking, infinite online searching and mobile connectedness, consumers now have access to a boisterous bazaar of public opinion. How much is this easy access to the opinions and insights of individuals altering consumers’ perceptions of authority? Quite a bit. Their sense of who has authority and who deserves it has changed dramatically.

A 2006 Edelman Study revealed that trust in a “person like me” rose from 20 percent in 2003 to 68 percent in 2006—an increase of more than 300 percent.

If icitizens are turning to each other for news and views instead of relying on official and traditional sources—including brands themselves, it’s not simply because of the exhilarating access to an ...

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