Private clients’ reputations are shaped by their source of wealth. Rightly or wrongly, wealth generated from some industries, such as technology, is considered more acceptable than others, like mining. Yet, too often judgements about ‘acceptable’ and ‘unacceptable’ industries are based on intuition rather than data.

• What industry does the public look most positively on?
• What sector does the public think most negatively about?
• Why are younger people more sceptical of technology entrepreneurs?
• How do individuals overcome their association with financial services, mining, or property?

In Q3 2021, Transmission Private conducted a survey to better understand what industries were considered beneficial (and harmful) to an entrepreneur’s reputation. The survey resulted from polling a nationally representative sample of 2,000 members of the UK public.

Selected findings and recommendations

• 31% of respondents said that they would think more positively of an individual who had made money in technology, the most reputation-enhancing industry.
• 25% of people said that they would think more negatively of an individual if they were told that their wealth was generated from financial services.
• Young respondents looked less positively on technology. They were aware of technology’s drawbacks, such as privacy concerns and social media trolling.
• Individuals associated with mining, financial services, or property face an uphill battle on reputation. They must work harder to overcome misapprehensions by answering misperceptions directly and highlighting societal impact.

Plus, more raw data from our survey of 2,000 members of the public... and practical, hands-on suggestions on how to manage your risk and respond to potential issues. Download the full report below.