The global business landscape faces a critical challenge: a widening gap between public expectations of corporate impact and actual confidence in business delivery. The 2026 Page-Harris Poll Confidence in Business Index reveals that while citizens worldwide demand more from leading companies, their belief in corporations’ ability to meet these demands is lagging. This erosion of confidence is compounded by a rapidly evolving information environment, where Generative AI (GenAI) is reshaping how stakeholders discover and trust information. For senior marketing and CX leaders, understanding these shifts and adapting governance, communication strategies, and operational models are paramount for safeguarding reputation and driving measurable business outcomes.
Redefining the Enterprise Mandate: Economic Impact and Ethical Conduct
The Page-Harris Poll identifies economic stability and growth as the leading expectation globally for corporate impact, yet only a minority of the public believes companies will deliver on this front. This disconnect creates a significant vulnerability that populist narratives can exploit. Simultaneously, concerns about corruption remain a pervasive global issue, further undermining trust. Addressing these core issues requires enterprises to move beyond generic statements and demonstrate concrete, verifiable contributions.
The study indicates that 61% of the global public considers “economic stability and growth” very important for leading companies to positively influence. However, only 31% express high confidence that companies will actually make such an impact. This 30-percentage-point deficit signals a critical perception gap. Furthermore, “corruption” ranks as the second most important issue globally (56%), highlighted by public descriptions spanning “abuse of power,” “lack of transparency,” and “systemic normalization” (Page 6).
Generational differences also underscore the need for calibrated engagement. While older generations (Boomers) prioritize addressing corruption (ranked #1), younger adults (Gen Z) place “mental health issues” as their second-highest priority after economic stability. This divergence requires a nuanced approach to issue engagement, ensuring relevance across demographic segments.
- What to Do:
- Articulate Measurable Economic Contributions: Clearly communicate specific, quantifiable impacts, such as job creation figures, local supply chain investments, or contributions to regional GDP growth. For example, a telecommunications provider could detail its investment in rural broadband infrastructure and the number of new jobs created in underserved areas.
- Enhance Transparency on Governance and Ethics: Implement clear policies on anti-corruption (e.g., a “zero tolerance” policy for bribery, annual ethics training for all employees, and publicly accessible whistleblower channels). Regularly report on internal controls and compliance measures, perhaps integrated into annual ESG reports.
- Tailor Messaging to Generational Priorities: Develop distinct communication strategies for different age groups. While promoting economic benefits universally, emphasize mental health support programs for Gen Z, such as employer-sponsored mental wellness apps or flexible work policies that demonstrably reduce burnout.
- What to Avoid:
- Generic CSR Statements: Vague promises about societal contribution without demonstrable action or measurable results will fail to build confidence.
- Ignoring Generational Nuances: A one-size-fits-all communication strategy risks alienating key segments of the public, particularly younger consumers and talent pools who hold different priorities.
- Downplaying Corruption Concerns: Perceived or actual ethical lapses can severely damage brand trust and lead to regulatory scrutiny, impacting customer retention and investor confidence.
Bridging the Confidence Gap: From Context to Action
The Page-Harris Poll highlights a significant “confidence curve” breakdown: public confidence in leading companies rises dramatically when actions are accompanied by clear context and explanation. A staggering 71% of the public perceive minimal context regarding company actions, resulting in low confidence (Page 9). This indicates that simply performing good deeds is insufficient; explaining why and how these actions contribute to broader societal well-being is crucial for fostering trust.
The path to confidence requires businesses to move beyond transactional communication to contextualized narratives that connect corporate activities to public benefit. For instance, a financial services institution might not just announce a new initiative for small business lending but explain how this initiative directly supports local economic resilience and job creation in underserved communities, providing specific case studies and testimonials. This requires a coordinated effort across marketing, corporate communications, and CX teams.
Operating Model and Roles:
- Corporate Communications: Responsible for developing contextualized narratives and translating complex business initiatives into accessible public-facing stories, collaborating with PR and public affairs.
- CX Leaders: Tasked with ensuring customer-facing interactions reinforce these narratives, equipping contact center agents with relevant data and talking points on company values and impact. This could include training agents on how to answer questions about sustainability initiatives or community involvement.
- Marketing: Responsible for integrating these messages into campaigns, content marketing, and brand storytelling across all channels, measuring resonance and sentiment.
- Governance and Risk Controls:
- Narrative Consistency: Establish a central content governance framework (e.g., using a content management system with controlled versioning) to ensure consistent messaging across all public touchpoints.
- Data Validation: Implement internal verification processes for all claims related to economic or social impact. A RAG (Red, Amber, Green) system for assessing external claims can help maintain accuracy, with “Red” requiring immediate review and adjustment (e.g., any claim that cannot be supported by audited data or third-party verification).
- Feedback Loops: Establish mechanisms for tracking public sentiment and understanding where contextual gaps exist (e.g., quarterly sentiment analysis reports, social listening tools, and customer advisory boards). Use these insights to refine communication strategies.
What Good Looks Like:
- Increased Brand Trust Scores: Achieve a 10-15% increase in annual brand trust surveys (e.g., Edelman Trust Barometer, internal Brand Health Trackers).
- Enhanced Share of Positive Voice: Increase the ratio of positive to negative mentions related to corporate social and economic impact by 20% on social media and news outlets.
- Higher Employee Engagement: A workforce that understands and believes in the company’s purpose and impact is more engaged, leading to lower attrition and higher productivity.
Navigating the Evolving Information Landscape with Generative AI
The digital information landscape has shifted dramatically, with traditional sources of authority being “overthrown.” Search engines remain dominant in usage (76%) and trust (74%), but Generative AI (GenAI) is surging, with a 39% usage rate and 50% trust in the survey—a 10% and 7% increase respectively from December 2024 (Page 10). Crucially, news media, a cornerstone of 20th-century information, now ranks as a second-tier source and its trust declines precipitously among younger generations (Page 11).
This reordering of trusted sources demands an urgent modernization of channel mix strategy. Discoverability in search and GenAI platforms is the new frontier for reputation management. Enterprises must prioritize owned content that is optimized for these channels, recognizing that GenAI models are trained on vast datasets, including public web content. For Gen Z, platforms like Instagram and TikTok are significant information sources, while news media holds less sway, underscoring the need for tailored content and distribution strategies.
What to Do:
- Prioritize Owned Content for Search and GenAI: Ensure corporate websites, blogs, and knowledge bases are meticulously maintained, accurate, and easily crawlable. Treat this as the primary source of truth that GenAI models will draw from.
- Integrate GenAI into CX and Communications: Explore safe, governed applications of GenAI in customer service (e.g., for first-level support, FAQ generation) and content creation (e.g., drafting internal communications, personalizing marketing messages). Implement RAG (Retrieval-Augmented Generation) architectures to ground GenAI models in verified internal data, avoiding hallucinations.
- Strategically Leverage Paid Media for Discovery: Recognize that for certain channels, like news media, “paid is required for distribution” (Page 12). Integrate paid strategies to ensure key messages reach target audiences on evolving platforms where organic reach may be limited.
What to Avoid:
- Ignoring GenAI’s Impact on Discovery: Assuming that traditional SEO is sufficient overlooks the rapidly growing influence of GenAI tools as information gatekeepers.
- Deploying Ungoverned GenAI: Without strict policy, consent protocols, and red-teaming, GenAI can propagate misinformation, exhibit bias, or generate off-brand content, leading to significant reputational damage (e.g., a customer service chatbot providing incorrect legal advice).
- Over-reliance on a Single Channel: A diversified channel strategy is essential, particularly given generational differences in information consumption. Neglecting emerging platforms favored by younger demographics can result in missed engagement opportunities.
Summary
The 2026 Page-Harris Poll Confidence in Business Index presents a clear directive for enterprise leaders: regaining and maintaining public credibility requires a fundamental re-evaluation of how businesses operate, communicate, and engage in a GenAI-driven world. By transparently demonstrating economic impact, addressing ethical concerns, providing critical context to actions, and strategically adapting to the shifting digital information landscape, companies can bridge the current confidence gap. This necessitates robust governance, precise execution in content strategy and channel mix, and a commitment to measurable outcomes that resonate across diverse demographic segments. The era of passive corporate presence is over; proactive, credible engagement is the new standard for sustained success.
Source: 2026 Page-Harris Poll Confidence in Business Index: Regaining Credibility in the GenAI Era (January 2026).
