“Welcome to the Human Era”* is a report that examines the fundamental decline of consumer’s level of trust towards brands.One of the most important goals for any brand on the market is to secure a positive, long-standing connection with the consumer – leading to repeat business and increased sales.Traditionally, companies have turned to their marketing and PR departments to create messaging and advertising campaigns designed to build and secure brand loyalty. But these “fabricated stories” no longer influence today’s demanding consumers - who long for corporate transparency before parting with their hard-earned money.Real-world experience and responsibility now drives brand favorability in business sectors across the spectrum.John Marshall, senior partner and global director of strategy for Lippincott says that, “Making an authentic connection today is a tall order, and few brands actually get beyond the messaging. But when studying the leaders, what’s clear is that their success came from so much more than their ads and social media strategy; it came from their culture, their decision-making approaches, their employee behaviors, and often the little things that often don''t even cost that much."Categories rated in the report include Financial Services, Media and Entertainment, Airlines and even Restaurants.This year, In-N-Out Burger scored an 8.3 – defying fast-food conventions to provide customers with trusted quality since 1949. In fact, they scored twice as high as McDonald’s or Burger King on the Human Index. Chick-fil-A, ranked second, is also noted for placing an emphasis on quality and integrity as a family-run business that still remains closed on Sundays.“The Human Era is about a fundamental societal shift based on the search for trust,” adds Graham Ritchie, EVP and chief strategy officer for Hill Holliday. “Now is the time for companies, brands, and indeed our industry to really understand this cultural shift in order to adapt andthrive or risk a decline in relevance and value.”*Reporting conducted by Lippincott, a brand strategy and design firm, and Hill Holliday, a full-service advertising and marketing agency.