Our world is in turmoil… The war in Ukraine has entered its fifth year, the Middle East is embroiled in armed conflict, and drone overflights and cyberattacks are causing concern on Europe’s eastern flank. Hundreds of thousands of secondary school pupils and protesters against the high cost of living are taking to the streets in France. The French people spent 2026 in a state of constant alert, and it is with deep-seated mistrust of what they are told that they approach the 2027 presidential election, whether the message comes from a politician, the media or a brand.
Nearly nine in ten French people are familiar with Instagram. Yet when it comes to the protection of their personal data, they rate it at just 5.42 out of 10. Measured in January 2026 by the La Nouvelle Agence / Ifop barometer, this wide gap between visibility and trust speaks volumes about a France that is full of doubt – a France that the study ‘Françaises, Français, etc. ’ by 366, presented on 4 November at the NPA Conseil conference, describes as anxious about their children’s future. With the presidential election just a few months away, brands that want to be heard will need to speak with restraint, responsibility and backed by tangible evidence.
Instagram: 88% aided awareness and a trust rating of 5.42/10 regarding data protection (La Nouvelle Agence / Ifop barometer, 2026).
Instagram, known to 88% of the French public and among the lowest-rated in terms of trust
Instagram is part of almost every French person’s daily life: 88% are familiar with it, according to the survey on the French public’s favourite tech brands published in February 2026 by La Nouvelle Agence and Ifop, which scrutinised 50 brands in terms of brand awareness, trust, usefulness and connection. However, this familiarity comes to an end when it comes to personal data, on which respondents gave it a score of just 5.42 out of 10. Facebook, its older sibling within the Meta group, has an almost identical profile (93 % brand awareness, 5.41/10). First place goes to Doctolib, which scored 7.45 out of 10 – more than two points ahead of Instagram – even though the medical appointment platform largely stays out of the public debate.This mistrust extends far beyond the screens. The study by 366 and NPA Conseil reveals a society that doubts its model and what it promises for the next generation. Seven out of ten French people believe their children will have a lower standard of living than they do. Nearly seven out of ten feel they contribute more to the public system than they receive from it. And more than half (51 %) are calling for radical changes – twice as many as in 1980.
It is to this audience – which cross-checks its sources and treats official statements, including those from businesses, with scepticism – that journalists and communications professionals must address their messages.
→ Read also: The French public’s favourite tech brands: what the 2026 ranking reveals (internal link to the flagship article).
2027 Presidential Election: every corporate announcement risks being interpreted through a political lens
From spring onwards, the campaign will take up an increasing share of editorial space in national newsrooms, and business stories will be vying for a shrinking amount of coverage. Audiences, meanwhile, continue to fragment. Tailor-made news feeds and responses from AI assistants direct each individual towards their own sources, with the result that two neighbours on the same landing who are following the same rally will not read the same analyses. A few major shared events remain, starting with the morning shows on national radio stations and their seven million listeners every day – a figure highlighted at the symposium on 4 November.
In this climate, it takes just a few hours for a press release to be interpreted through a political lens, picked up by activist accounts or subjected to public scrutiny. Every additional announcement becomes yet another opportunity to be contradicted. Communications departments would therefore be well advised to organise their PR schedules now and prepare their spokespersons before spring 2027.
Four public statements a year, backed by evidence that journalists can verify
We advise our clients to start sorting through their 2027 announcements today. Any launch that can wait would be better off taking place after the elections, once the campaign noise has died down. Commenting on political news whilst it is still fresh, on the other hand, exposes the company to its message being hijacked in ways it cannot control, for very little media benefit. Four public statements throughout the year, backed by sourced figures and delivered by a senior executive who picks up the phone, protect a reputation better than one press release a week.
Journalists are more likely to pick up on stories they can verify for themselves, such as the opening of a factory or a local site, or recruitment drives in a specific labour market.
Regional daily newspapers expect departmental figures and a contact person who can be reached during the day
It is in their local area that the French are most willing to place their trust, where they can judge matters first-hand. Journalists working for regional daily newspapers know the businesses, local authorities and organisations in their department, and will travel to verify what they are told. Their publications have retained a credibility that many national media outlets have lost.
When sent as is to sixty regional newsrooms, a national press release usually ends up as a brief news item – if it is not ignored at all. The same information finds its way into the local pages when it is accompanied by departmental figures, a testimonial from a customer or a local stakeholder, and a contact person available later that day. This tailoring process requires several weeks’ preparation in advance.
Media Training 2027: preparing executives for political issues and contradictions
In the face of disinformation, speakers at the conference championed transparency, the right to a fair hearing and pluralism. In press relations, transparency requires details that many omit: a study cited in a press release must specify its methodology, sample size and the date the data was collected.
Spokespersons must prepare with the same rigour. Media training sessions in 2027 would benefit from incorporating questions on the political stance attributed to the company, contradictions drawn from third-party sources, and follow-up questions on current sensitive issues.
Our 2027 assessments will evaluate your trust rating
Beyond the number of media mentions, the reports we are preparing for 2027 will measure how faithfully messages are reproduced, the proportion of mentions obtained in high-credibility media – with regional daily newspapers leading the way – unsolicited enquiries from journalists between announcements and, for brands tracked by a barometer, the change in their trust rating from one survey wave to the next.
During the campaign, the national media will give less coverage to businesses. The teams at La Nouvelle Agence are already drawing up their clients’ 2027 schedules, taking this decline into account.
Frequently asked questions
Why might a very well-known brand inspire little trust?
Brand awareness measures whether the French public is familiar with a brand. The barometer’s trust score focuses on a brand’s practices, primarily data protection. The January 2026 La Nouvelle Agence/Ifop barometer recorded 88% brand awareness and a trust score of 5.42/10 for Instagram, whilst Doctolib achieved 7.45/10 with far less media exposure.
How can one assess the trust generated by a press relations campaign?
By tracking the consistency with which messages are repeated, the proportion of coverage in highly credible media such as regional daily newspapers, unsolicited enquiries from journalists and, when the brand features in a barometer, the change in its trust rating between two survey waves.
Sources
‘The French People’s Favourite Tech Brands’ survey, La Nouvelle Agence / Ifop, February 2026. Survey of 1,000 representative individuals, conducted from 14 to 19 January 2026.
Study ‘Françaises, Français, etc.’, 366 / NPA Conseil, presented at the symposium ‘La France à la carte: the media facing the challenge of 2027’, Paris, 4 November 2026.
To prepare for your upcoming public speaking engagements, contact the team at La Nouvelle Agence.
