Global Public Opinion Insights
Global insights into how the consumer goods sector is perceived in fulfilling its responsibilities to society.
Consumer goods brands are deeply embedded in everyday life, shaping how people experience value, convenience, and progress through the products they buy and use daily. As a result, expectations around affordability, relevance, and credible sustainability are high, even when the sector is not always under intense public scrutiny.
This latest edition of GlobeScan’s long‑running societal reputation research examines how the consumer goods sector is perceived across 33 global markets. While performance of the sector appears to be average at a global level, a closer look reveals widening regional and generational divides that have important implications for building trust, protecting brand equity, and sustaining relevance in a changing marketplace.
Key insights include:
- A mid‑range performer with hidden fault lines. Globally, the consumer goods sector sits in the middle of the pack compared with other industries in fulfilling its responsibilities to society. However, its position masks significant variation beneath the surface.
- Regional differences are widening. Perceptions are strongest and often improving across many Asian and African markets, where consumer goods are closely associated with access, growth, and everyday progress. In contrast, trust has weakened across much of Europe, where saturation, mature markets, and skepticism around sustainability claims have eroded confidence.
- Greenhushing is fueling skepticism in mature markets. In Europe in particular, reduced visibility of sustainability commitments has raised doubts about whether past claims were ever meaningful, making it harder for brands to defend premiums and sustain trust.
- Generational divides are among the widest of any sector. Perceptions are strongest among Gen Z, dip among Millennials, and fall sharply among Gen X and Baby Boomers and older. While younger audiences remain relatively engaged, older consumers often feel overlooked, posing long‑term reputational risk in categories where older cohorts still drive spending.
- Managing trust requires regional and generational nuance. The findings underline the need for consumer goods brands to adapt their trust‑building strategies across markets and age groups rather than relying on a single global narrative.
