Ipsos: German Advertisers and Influencers Are Trusted Less Than Politicians
The Ipsos Global Trustworthiness Index 2026 finds that in Germany, advertising professionals and influencers are trusted even less than politicians — a sobering benchmark for the entire ad and influencer economy.
The Trust Rankings, and Where Marketers Sit
The Ipsos Global Trustworthiness Index 2026, fielded across 31 countries with more than 23,000 respondents, landed in the German trade press with a stark angle: in Germany, advertising professionals and influencers are trusted even less than politicians.
Globally, politicians (13% seen as trustworthy), social-media influencers (14%) and advertising executives (15%) sit at the very bottom, while doctors (58%), scientists (57%) and teachers (53%) top the rankings. AI chatbots scored just 23%.
Why This Should Worry the Ad Industry
Trust is the currency of persuasion, so an industry that ranks near the bottom of a trust index has a structural problem. If audiences distrust advertisers and influencers by default, every message starts from a deficit.
This is the hard data behind the authenticity and transparency debates that dominated events like DMEXCO 2026. It explains why influencer disclosure, creator credibility and honest advertising are not just ethical nice-to-haves but commercial necessities.
What Brands Should Do
The response is to earn trust rather than assume it. That means transparency about sponsorship, working with credible voices over merely popular ones, and making honest, substantiated claims that survive scrutiny.
Our view: the brands that will win are those that treat low category trust as a competitive opening. Be the visibly honest, transparent operator in a distrusted field and you stand out — trust, right now, is a differentiator, not a baseline.
Quick FAQ
What did the Ipsos Trustworthiness Index 2026 find about advertisers?
Globally, advertising executives (15%), influencers (14%) and politicians (13%) rank at the bottom for trust; in Germany, advertisers and influencers are trusted even less than politicians.
Who is trusted most?
Doctors (58%), scientists (57%) and teachers (53%) top the global rankings; AI chatbots scored just 23%.
Trust is the currency of persuasion, and our industry sits near the bottom of the index. That's not just uncomfortable — it's an opening. Be the visibly honest, transparent operator in a distrusted field and you stand out. Right now, trust is a differentiator, not a baseline. — Daniel Nikolla, Founder of Merx Marketing
With advertisers and influencers ranking near the bottom for trust, visible honesty and transparency have become a genuine competitive differentiator.
Does your marketing start from a trust deficit — and what are you doing to close it?
If you would like to know more about this topic, please contact us on danieln@merxmarketing.co.uk
Sources: Ipsos and HORIZONT.
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Written by Daniel Nikolla, Founder of Merx Marketing Ltd and Marketing Minute
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