BRANDS MUST BALANCE PEER AND EXPERT VOICES Percent who say each is credible regarding… Quality / value of the brand Lifestyle / fit of the brand Academic 57 Person like 57 expert yourself Person like 56 Academic 51 yourself expert Influencer 48 Influencers can bring both Influencer 48 expertise and relatability 2021 Edelman Trust Barometer Special Report: Trust, The New Brand Equity. ABILITY_SPK. Below is a list of people. If a brand were to use each as their spokesperson on issues related to the quality and value-for-the-money of its products compared to its competitors, how credible would they be? 4-point scale; top 2 box, credible. Question asked of half of the sample. SELF_SPK. Below is a list 24 of people. If a brand were to use each as their spokesperson on issues related to how well it is likely to fit your lifestyle and interests, how credible would they be? 4-point scale; top 2 box, credible. Question asked of half of the sample. General population, 14-mkt avg. “Influencer” is a net of attributes 8 and 9.