The folks at Edelman Trust Barometer get a special Obvious Perseverance Award for asking the same questions and getting the same answers year after year. Their latest report shows that trust continues its long-term decline, polarization continues to increase, and business remains the most trusted institution. If you prefer non-obvious information, download for details about attitudes in different countries, economic concerns, and how business should address social issues.

Just over half of consumers (54%) like to receive personalized messages because they show the consumers are known to the brand, plus they can be time savers. The rest (46%) find it at best unimportant, at worst creepy. Relevance far outstrips personalization when it comes to driving email opens (54% vs. 19%). Takeaway: treat each customer the way they prefer.