New Burson research reveals U.S. business leaders face "Credibility Gap" amid rising public anxiety and expectation

NEW YORK, July 29, 2026 – Burson, the global communications leader purpose-built to create value for clients through reputation, today launched new research, titled, “the Burson Pulse,” that explores where reputation is being won and lost in America. The longitudinal study tracks how confidence shifts through a pivotal election year, with the first round of results revealing a nation operating under a shared condition of deep anxiety – creating both a challenging credibility deficit and a unique opportunity for business leaders today. 

Fielded in late April 2026, the nationally representative study of 1,600+ U.S. adults indicates that economic and institutional lack of confidence are driving Americans to scrutinize corporate behavior more closely. 

This pervasive anxiety has severely eroded institutional confidence: fewer than one in four Americans (19%) say they have confidence in CEOs, and only 18% have confidence in large corporations. This is on par with Congress (18%). 

"Business leaders are operating in a high-anxiety, highly scrutinized environment, starting with a credibility gap that many don’t even realize exists," said Craig Buchholz, U.S. CEO, Burson. "But within this skepticism lies a clear roadmap. Americans are not looking for louder corporate messaging or slick PR. They are looking for and expecting C-suite executives to lead with consistency, genuine accountability and a focus on their people."

Key findings include:

• Americans lack confidence in both institutions and leadership: 67% of Americans say the country is on the wrong track, while 69% say that they believe corporate leaders care more about their personal brands than company mission. 89% of Americans said that they believe powerful people get away with behaviors that would cost an everyday person their job.
• Reputation is as likely to drain away slowly as it is to break quickly: 48% of Americans say they have quietly lost confidence in a company over time without being able to point to a single defining moment.
• The workforce is a leading indicator for reputational erosion: Employees represent a massive, underutilized reputational asset. While 92% of employees express confidence in their current employer, a significant tension point is emerging around artificial intelligence. Only 30% of employees strongly agree that their employer is being transparent about how AI may affect their jobs and roles.
• A crisis is an audition many companies are failing: Crisis response is the ultimate test of corporate values, with 87% stating that how a company responds to a crisis reveals its true character. However, 80% of Americans believe most companies respond to crises with spin.
• Protecting your people builds credibility, while political posturing erodes it: Americans expect companies to speak when policies directly affect their people or communities, but do not want companies to engage in political posturing. While 86% of Americans believe companies have a responsibility to speak up when public policies harm their employees or communities, 71% say they have more confidence in leaders who stay out of political debates.

Navigating the Reputation Economy

The study underscores that building a resilient reputation requires proactive, data-backed strategies that establish credibility long before a crisis hits. To help clients navigate these complex dynamics, Burson supports the growing responsibilities facing today’s C-suite, providing best-in-class counsel, intelligence and communications strategy. The agency’s offering spans corporate communications, stakeholder and key opinion leader strategies, executive visibility and media training, crisis communications and issues management, employee communications, policy communications, community engagement and government relations.

An additional Burson Pulse study will be conducted later this year following the midterm elections. For more information on the Burson Pulse study or to learn more about Burson's reputation management offerings, please visit bursonglobal.com.

Methodology: The study was conducted online between April 22–30, 2026, among 1,601 U.S. adults age 18 or older, including an oversample of employed Americans ages 21–55. The margin of error is ±2.4%. Burson will field part two of this study following the U.S. midterm elections to track how confidence shifts over time.