Creating parental trust in the children's toy market

摘要

Purpose – Trust is a key business value and a corner-stone of all company-consumer relationships, but is particularly critical in children's markets because of their vulnerability. This paper seeks to explore how trust is created between toy companies and parents, the main purchasers of toys, and a conceptual framework is proposed, arguing that trust is underpinned by both ethical and marketing dimensions. Design/methodology/approach – This paper uses rich qualitative data gathered from personal interviews with a sample of senior executives in 12 leading toy companies in the UK. The findings are then used to evaluate a framework developed from a synthesis of the business trust literature. Findings – Evidence gained from the sample indicates that the framework is reasonably robust. Although the managers believed that consumers' trust was chiefly driven by the marketing offer (commitment and satisfaction), they also recognised the importance of behaving responsibly and provided examples to demonstrate their integrity and benevolence. Practical implications – The consumers' perception of the toy industry is not as positive as the managers would like or believe is deserved. Many responsible activities that might help improve consumer sentiment are failing to be adequately communicated. Trust and worthy deeds need to be “sold” to consumers as a part of the marketing package. Originality/value – Although trust development is widely discussed and its value recognised, it is still inadequately understood. This paper adds a new perspective by highlighting the importance of ethical issues as a key dimension of trust building.