Edelman's latest edition of its Trust Barometer predicted it would take the financial industry a decade to reconstruct its reputation following the crisis of 2008-09.

If the situation at Goldman Sachs is as described by New York Times op-ed whistleblower Greg Smith, a decade is optimistic. More importantly, the Trust Barometer also noted a significant decline in trust in government and business overall.

It's a trust gap smart businesses are looking to bridge. And that theme is right in ...