Customers suspect businesses padded their prices, and they are wary of AI-made advertising. That combination could shape how local advertisers want to sound in the months ahead, and new research gives radio sellers a read on what customers want.
The Bentley-Gallup Business in Society Survey interviewed 3,270 US adults from May 4 to 11 through the Gallup Panel. The margin of sampling error is ±2.4 percentage points.
Some 61% say businesses have a positive impact on people’s lives, down from 65% in 2025 and above a 2022 low of 55%. Only 41% trust businesses some or a lot to act in the best interest of society, compared with 80% for charitable and advocacy organizations.
Prices are the sharpest friction. Some 89% say the prices they pay rose over the past 12 months, including 62% who say they rose significantly. Eight in 10 believe businesses raised prices more than necessary to increase profits, including 47% who say a great deal more. Among those who hold that view most strongly, 20% say business has a negative impact on society, compared with 8% of those who say somewhat more than necessary and 3% of the rest.
When costs rise, most Americans say businesses should accept lower profits, and about half say they should raise prices. Four in 10 would accept a smaller size or quantity of a product, compared with 5% who would accept lower quality. Just 4% support cutting employee pay and benefits, and 15% support reducing staff.
Americans’ expectations are high. Some 97% say it is at least somewhat important for businesses to operate ethically, 95% say the same about improving communities, and 94% about supporting environmental sustainability. Only 32% say businesses perform well on ethical practices, 25% on environmental sustainability, and 26% on making the world a better place. Executive pay is the lowest-rated area, with 15% saying businesses perform well at limiting the CEO pay gap.
On public stances, 47% say businesses should take a position on current events and 53% say they should not, down from 51% in favor in 2025. Support is at or above a majority among Black, Asian, and Hispanic adults, women, adults younger than 45, and Democrats. Majorities of White adults, men, adults 45 and older, Republicans, and independents are opposed. Majorities still want businesses to speak on free speech, climate change, mental health, diversity, equity and inclusion, and healthcare. Among employees, 56% say their own employer should not communicate a stance on current events.
Trust in AI is eroding. Some 27% trust businesses to use AI responsibly, down from 31% in 2025, and 39% say AI does more harm than good, up from 31%. That figure reaches 47% among adults 18 to 29. Some 79% say they saw advertisements that appeared to be created with AI in the past 30 days, and 49% view businesses’ use of AI to create advertising negatively. Three in four find it acceptable for AI to help employees brainstorm or draft ads when the use is disclosed, and 62% find AI-created people or voices in advertising unacceptable even when disclosed. Two-thirds of 18-to-29-year-olds view AI-created ads negatively.
Takeaways for radio sellers:
- Price skepticism. Eight in 10 customers suspect businesses padded prices, so campaigns for clients that raised prices may land better built on value and transparency than on discounts. Quality is the claim to protect, since only 5% accept a cut in it.
- Creative. Using AI to build ad copy or ideas is broadly acceptable when disclosed, but AI-created voices are not, even when disclosed. That makes real on-air talent and real voices a selling point, especially with younger customers.
- Stances. Advertisers who want to speak on current events face an audience that splits by market. Younger, female, and Black, Asian, and Hispanic customers are more receptive, while older, male, White, Republican, and independent customers lean against.
- Community. With 95% saying communities matter and only 26% giving businesses good marks on making the world better, local involvement is an opening for clients to show up in the community rather than just talk about it.
