• 92% of Singapore consumers silently disengage when brand believability is lost
• Only 5.9%% would post about a negative brand experience on social media
• Singapore emerges as a high-trust but low-tolerance market where institutional credibility and operational proof matter most

SINGAPORE - Media OutReach Newswire - 8 July 2026 - Ogilvy released its first 2026 APACBelievability Index: The Power of Proof, a comprehensive study examining how consumers across Asia-Pacific (APAC) determine what and who they believe in an increasingly complex information environment shaped by AI-generated content, misinformation, fragmented media and declining confidence in corporate claims. The regional and Singapore insights were revealed at an event at the Ogilvy Singapore office attended by more than 60 invited guests including global, regional and local brands, not-for-profit organisations, and government agencies. Conducted in partnership with YouGov, the research surveyed 7,176 respondents across the markets of Australia, Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia, the Philippines, Hong Kong SAR, and Mainland China, including 1,050 respondents in Singapore. The report reveals that organisations are dangerously overlooking a reputational blind spot that directly impacts revenue. A staggering 93% of APAC consumers quietly disengage when believability in a brand or organisation is lost, with almost half (48%) stopping their purchases entirely. In Singapore, the findings reveal a distinct local paradox: Singapore is a high-trust market, but not a high tolerance one. While Singapore consumers place significantly greater belief in Government, institutional and credentialed sources compared with much of the region, they are also deeply pragmatic and unforgiving when brands fail to deliver on their core promises. The report finds that 92% of Singapore consumers silently disengage when brand believability is lost, while only 5.9% would post about a negative brand experience on social media. This suggests that the most pressing reputation risk for brands in Singapore may not be public outrage, but quiet withdrawal – with customers switching providers, stopping purchases, avoiding brand content, deleting apps or simply never returning. In response to these findings, Ogilvy has launched its Believability Diagnostic Tool, powered by an enterprise-grade AI agent, built and housed in WPP Open. The Believability Agent is designed to help C-Suite leaders identify the "Say-Do Gap" between what brands promise and what customers experience – enabling organisations to detect potential silent disengagement before it affects business performance. Richard Brett, President of PR& Influence, Ogilvy Asia Pacific, said: "Believability has evolved from a PR challenge into a commercial imperative. In a world of AI slop and synthetic content, misinformation and growing skepticism, the brands that succeed will be those that can prove what they say. Singapore is a particularly important market because believability here is deeply anchored in institutional credibility and operational delivery. Consumers may not always complain publicly when belief is lost, but they will act – and often, they will act silently." Akashah Q, Managing Director for PR & Influence, Social, Ogilvy Singapore and Malaysia, added: "The Singapore data shows that silence should not be mistaken for satisfaction. A stable sentiment dashboard or low complaint volume may hide a much bigger commercial risk. Singaporeans are careful when assessing proof – they value official sources, factual correctness and operational competence. For brands, the implication is clear: Believability is built not only by what you say, but by whether your actions, service and evidence consistently back it up. If not, they will politely but brutally break up with you. The reputational crisis of the future may not begin with a hashtag. It may begin with silence." Key Singapore Findings from the Ogilvy APAC 2026 Believability Index:1. Singaporeans do not always cancel brands. They silently leave them. The most dangerous reputation risk in Singapore may be the one brands cannot see. When Singapore consumers lose belief in a brand, 92%take silent actions (vs 93% across APAC). More than half (54.4%) stop purchasing the brand's products or services entirely, while 33.5% switch to a more believable competitor. A further 37.3% become wary and suspicious of similar brands, products or services and 19.7% simply avoid the brand's content without telling anyone. In contrast, only 5.9% would post a negative brand experience on social media (vs 10% in APAC), and only 9.5% would leave a negative review or public comment. Implications: The findings indicate that brands relying primarily on public complaints, social listening or visible sentiment may be missing the larger commercial reality: Customers have already left, without leaving a public trace. 2. Competence over purpose Purpose,...