LRQA launches 'Trust and Transparency' podcast series

June 09, 2009

What Assures Consumers in an Economic Downturn report highlights business assurance website's 10-part series

www.businessassurance.com, a leading online source of information, resources and opinion on the specific issues that organisations are facing, today launched a 10-part audio and video podcast series, 'Trust and Transparency.' The series is a result of the launch event for the timely What Assures Consumers in an Economic Downturn report, which was commissioned by the non-profit think-tank, AccountAbility, sponsored by the Co-operative and supported by LRQA, with the online research being conducted by YouGov. The research addressed the issues of UK consumer trust, business responsibility and the effect the current global economic climate is having on consumer attitudes and actions and the subsequent implications for business strategies.

The 10-part series features five audio and five video episodes, with a new episode going live every 10 days. Each of the audio episodes in the series is accompanied by a downloadable transcript and is based on interviews and presentations from a panelist or organisation involved in the creation of the What Assures Consumers in an Economic Downturn report. Harriet Lamb, Executive Director of the Fairtrade Foundation, starts the series off in episode 1. Further audio episodes in the series will feature AccountAbility's, Alan Knight (Head of Standards) and Kate Ives (co-author of the report), Solitaire Townsend, Founder and President of Futerra Communications, Sandy Sutherland, LRQA's Head of Technical and Regulatory Affairs and Helen McTaggart of The Co-operative. The Video episodes are focused on the key themes of the report, such as the 'Accountability Gap' which the research highlighted, being discussed in the first video episode. Up-coming video episode themes include 'Rebuilding Consumer Trust', 'Independent Assurance', 'Carbon Footprinting and Green Issues' and 'Key Findings from the What Assures Consumers Research'.

Some of the key findings of the latest research, discussed in detail throughout the podcast series include:
• 73% of consumers view the way an organisation treats it employees and suppliers as an important measure in determining whether a business behaves responsibly
• 36% of consumers named retailers as the sector they trust the most
• 46% of consumers have boycotted products from a brand they did not trust, even when there was not an alternative
• 36% of consumers named banks as the sector they trust the least
• More consumers (36%) view 3rd parties as a source of trust than celebrities (5%), government departments (14%) and business websites (16%) combined!

All of the episodes, including transcripts for the audio versions, can be watched or listened to directly from the site as well as downloaded for later viewing or listening.

The narrator and producer of the Trust and Transparency podcast series is Neville Hobson, one of the leading European early adopters and influencers in social media communication for business. Neville co-presents and publishes one of the world's leading business communications podcasts and co-authored How To Do Everything With Podcasting published by McGraw-Hill in summer 2007.

The What Assures Consumers in an Economic Downturn report is the fifth in the What Assures Consumers series, with all of them being available to download directly from the AccountAbility website, www.accountability21.net.

1. The contact details are as follows:
Alex Briggs
Marketing Communications Manager
LRQA Centre
Lloyd's Register Quality Assurance Ltd.
Hiramford, Middlemarch Office Village
Siskin Drive
Coventry CV3 4FJ
England
T +44 (0) 24 7688 2382
F +44 (0) 24 7630 6055
Web www.lrqa.com

2. About Lloyd's Register
Lloyd's Register Quality Assurance (LRQA) is a member of the Lloyd's Register Group. Lloyd's Register provides independent assurance to companies operating high-risk capital intensive assets in energy and transportation to enhance the safety of life, property and the environment, thereby helping its clients ensure safe, responsible and sustainable supply chains. The Group comprises charities and non-charitable companies, with the latter supporting the charities in their main goal.
Lloyd's Register stands apart: independent, objective, experienced and uncompromising in our commitment to help clients produce an overall positive impact on society and the environment.
www.lr.org
Registered charity number: 21567 R

3. About www.businessassurance.com, the world's first ever knowledge sharing portal for management systems professionals, was created by LRQA in November, 2006. There are nine "business theme" sections on the site: Climate Change, Supply Chain, Food Safety, Product Conformity, Risk Management, CSR, Business Continuity, Management Systems and Asia specific. Each of the nine sections has six key categories: podcasts, news, blogs, resources, events and standards.

4. About AccountAbility
AccountAbility works to promote accountability innovations for sustainable development. AccountAbility founded in 1995, is a global network of leading business, public and civil institutions working to build and demonstrate the possibilities for tomorrow's global market and governance through thought-leadership and advisory services.
www.accountability21.net

Lloyd's Register