{"id":6435,"date":"2021-05-25T15:47:44","date_gmt":"2021-05-25T20:47:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bluecotton.com\/blog\/?p=6435"},"modified":"2021-05-25T15:47:44","modified_gmt":"2021-05-25T20:47:44","slug":"why-honesty-and-integrity-matter-more-than-ever-in-2021","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.bluecotton.com\/blog\/business\/why-honesty-and-integrity-matter-more-than-ever-in-2021\/","title":{"rendered":"Why Honesty and Integrity Matter More Than Ever in 2021"},"content":{"rendered":"

Consumer trust has been slowly eroding for some years now. Social media and the Internet more or less saw to that. Between multiple controversies, numerous data breaches, and the endless tide of advertisements and branded content, consumer-focused businesses\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

COVID-19 has not helped matters. Rampant misinformation, an unwillingness to comply with mandates, and a general lack of compassion and consideration from many businesses have left a bitter taste in our mouths. To put it another way, we’re all out of patience for inauthentic brands.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Per the 2021 <\/span>Edelman Trust Barometer,<\/span><\/i> the credibility of business leaders is now at an all-time low<\/span><\/a>. Curiously, the same survey saw that 86% of people expect CEOs to speak out on societal challenges, with 68% saying they should step in when the government fails to fix societal problems. In other words, businesses are simultaneously facing heightened expectations and lower levels of implicit trust.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

What that means is simple. If your business does not conduct itself ethically \u2014 if you do not consider corporate social responsibility \u2014 your customers <\/span>will <\/span><\/i>notice. And they will not respond favorably when they do.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

There’s also the fact that authentic businesses attract authentic people. When you take pride in your values, that pride trickles down. Your code of ethics essentially becomes inscribed into your company culture.<\/span><\/p>\n

In addition to lower turnover and better workplace productivity, this also helps steer the company in a positive direction. By giving everybody a voice and treating your employees well, you help ensure that if there <\/span>are <\/span><\/i>any looming issues, you’ll know about them. People won’t simply complain behind your back, afraid to confront leadership.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Of course, for BlueCotton, these merits all pale in the face of the most important of all \u2014 <\/span>it’s simply the right thing to do. <\/b>You can talk about sales numbers, customer expectations, and workplace productivity until you’re blue in the face. If these are the only reasons someone decides to be authentic, people will know.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Their efforts will come across as hollow and shallow at best.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

But what exactly <\/span>is <\/span><\/i>authenticity? How does one ensure their brand maintains an unimpeachable character through thick and thin? Believe it or not, that’s easier than you might think.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n