The Four Factors of Trust

APPENDIX BThe Demographics That Matter Most for Customers

For customers, the following demographics drive trust in descending order:

• Parenthood: Parents are more likely to trust brands.
• Geography: Urban customers trust more than suburban ones, who trust more than rural customers.
• Education level: More educated customers are more likely to trust.
• Age: Millennials trust the most, followed by Gen Z, X, Boomer, and Silent.
• Living situation: Those living with others (especially married) trust more than those living alone.

Parents are more likely to trust brands than non‐parents

Appendix B.1

Parenthood

Parents are the most likely to be trusting among all groups we surveyed. Parents are about 70 percent more trusting than non‐parents. The reasons behind this might not seem obvious when thinking about parenthood as a demographic variable. However, through the lens of expectations, the rationale becomes clearer. Most parents will agree that having children wildly alters their expectations. For example, when Ashley had twins, she quickly adjusted to expecting little or no sleep (the twins are now four and this is still true). Additionally, caring for others creates limitations on how and where parents spend their time and resources, further influencing expectations.

Urban customers trust brands more than suburban or rural customers

Appendix B.2

Geography

The geographic ...