Japanese trust corporations more than the government : JWT

The Anxiety Index report is based on the responses of 502 adults from across Japan. Due to the disaster, 14 regions were excluded from this research, representing 27 per cent of Japan.

The survey found that only a third of respondents trusted information from the government about radiation from the Fukushima nuclear plant, while only 40 per cent trust what the government is saying about the disaster in general. It is unsurprising therefore that only 33 per cent are confident in the government’s ability to successfully steer the country through the crisis.

Corporations seem to have gained the trust of the Japanese however with eight in 10 saying they trust what big corporations have been doing to help during the disaster and two-thirds are saying the same of local businesses in their town.

“Brands can help fill the leadership vacuum with innovative, decisive actions that make a real difference,” says Jordan Price, senior strategic planning partner, JWT Tokyo. “For brands that step up to this challenge, the rewards to equity can be significant, given the nation’s sentiments.”

Top on the list of Japanese anxieties is a potential nuclear disaster with 90 per cent feeling anxious about the safety of nuclear power. Radiation from Fukushima is keeping 85 per cent of respondents awake at night and 47 per cent admit to being very anxious about it.

Nevertheless, almost all respondents said they expected their daily activities to be largely unchanged. The same goes for their spending habits although most are putting big-ticket purchases on hold for the time being.

A sign of a return to normalcy, said 70 per cent of the respondents, is when regular ads return to television. In fact, nearly six in 10 agree that 'Right now, ads make me feel like everything will be OK.'

“Rather than seeing advertising as somehow ‘shameful’ while people are still suffering, most Japanese see it as a sign that things are improving,” says Price. “Brands need not hesitate to start talking to consumers again, rather be mindful about the tone and approach of the communications.”

JWT launched the Anxiety Index in February 2003 during the run-up to the war in Iraq. It tracks the level and intensity of consumer anxiety and the drivers of anxiety, including safety and security concerns. It is designed to uncover consumer insights that can help inform strategies for marketing during times of high or low anxiety.