"I trust companies more than the federal government" to find solutions to the COVID-19 pandemic, 72 percent of Americans said in a recent Axios-Harris poll.
This mind-set is in contrast to Americans' way of thinking during other crises, particularly the 2008 financial crisis, when Axios-Harris said large firms were considered part of the problem rather than the solution. The poll, which surveyed a nationally representative sample of adults online, found this time around Americans in crisis mode are turning to big companies like Clorox for safety and reassurance.
One reason this may be happening is that Americans are increasingly seeing companies as more dependable than the government during the pandemic, Axios-Harris said. Seventy-six percent of respondents said "companies were more reliable than the federal government in keeping America running during COVID-19," according to the poll.
Companies that have seen the biggest positive changes in their reputation during the pandemic include retail grocers, health insurers and pharmaceutical companies.
Access the full poll here.