Honesty Survey: Customers More Likely to Support Honest Brands

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Posted Apr 30, 2015

Honesty has long been considered a positive trait. As kids, we’re encouraged to always tell the truth. And for the most part that is a good rule to live by throughout all seasons of life. But is there such a thing as too much honesty, either for people or for the brands we support? Can honesty have an impact on whether people choose to do business with certain companies? We asked a panel of consumers in honor of National Honesty Day.

honesty

Self Honesty

In Ask Your Target Market’s latest survey, just 26% of respondents described themselves as very honest people. 48% said they are honest. 14% said they are somewhat honest. 9% were neutral. And just 3% said they consider themselves to be dishonest people.

Human Honesty

When evaluating other people’s honesty, people aren’t quite as optimistic. However, the majority of people seem to feel that those around them at least try to be honest. 54% think that people are generally honest. And in general, 90% of respondents agree that honesty is a positive trait for people. However, 62% also agree that it is possible for people to be too honest sometimes.

Brand Honesty

When it comes to businesses, it seems that some of the same opinions are mainly true. 84% agree that honesty is a positive trait for businesses and brands to portray. 41% think that brands are generally at least somewhat honest with their customers. And 29% agree that it is possible for brands to be too honest with their customers. But although some think that too much honesty can hurt brands, most agree that the positives of honesty outweigh the negatives. 85% of respondents said they are more likely to support brands that they consider to be honest.You can view the complete survey results in the widget below and be sure to click “Open Full Report” to take advantage of all the chart and filter options.Photo Credit: Stonegate walk - honesty jar from FlickrWhat do you want to know? If you need some consumer insights on a particular topic, let us know in the comments below and we’ll consider it for an upcoming survey post.

Results were collected on April 29 via AYTM’s online survey panel.