Building Brand Trust

Consumers are thinking more critically about which brands they trust

As our personal resources become more stretched, we’re seeing consumers become more selective as to which brands they’re willing to spend their valuable resources – time and money – on. And a growing key consideration in that decision making process is the level of trust they have in brands.

Due in part to the increased number of brand ads we each see in a day (it’s estimated to be somewhere between 4000 – 10,000), it’s no wonder that we’re becoming more brand savvy. With that volume being seen, picking out the brands that don’t feel trustworthy gets easier and easier. 

This expands beyond just consumer brands, and is something that all organizations, institutions, not-for-profits, communities, and government agencies need to be aware of. Whether you are building a new brand, marketing campaign, or other communications, each one should be adding to your brand trust.

When we talk with our clients about building trust, here are just a few of the components that we suggest be looked at.

Genuine authenticity

The idea of being authentic feels like it’s been a bit used and abused in marketing recently. While being true to your brand should always be the intent, this recent trend of “authentic” has morphed beyond that intent to feel way more calculated. 

So what makes a brand authentic?

• Strong visual branding that’s honest 
• Clear messaging that doesn’t over promise
• A growth strategy that doesn’t feel like it’s over-stretching

Responsible digital media practices

All media practices, not just digital, should be responsible. However, with over 75% of of total ad spend being spent on digital media, we’re highlighting digital practices that we adhere to.

• Demonstrate an understanding around the general moment of need. Ads and targeting that are ultra-personalized feels Big Brother and stalker-ish
• Respect the fact that you are interrupting the scroll. Put in the effort to present a high-quality ad
  61% of Canadians are annoyed by the amount of ads they see online
• Influencer and creator fatigue is rising. The format should feel fresh
• If brands choose to use AI generated ads, they must still feel human, be accurate, and clearly marked as AI generated. (On the flip side, ads created by humans are being marked as such too.) The quality of the ads must not be impacted
  43% of consumers report decreased trust in advertising when created by AI
• AI agents or chatbots are being used as 24/7 support on websites. Users want to know that they can still connect with a real human, and that any information they share with the AI agent is safe from any mis-use or security breaches

Your media mix influences perceptions

With ¾ of advertising spend going to digital channels, it’s interesting to note how the channels influence overall brand trust. There are variances between age groups (no surprise there). 

We generally suggest including more than one media channel to reach your target audience. Having a general sense of overall channel sentiment helps determine how you build your media mix. 

• 60% trust ads in newspapers (print or online)
• 50% of Canadians trust OOH ads
• Brand sponsorship at sporting events ranked third-most trusted channel globally
• 23% trust ads from influencers
• 12% of adult Canadians trust social and online ads (increases to 40% for  < 35 year olds)

These are just a few of the elements to consider when building brand trust. And with a rapidly changing marketing landscape, what we understand today, can change tomorrow. 

What won’t change is that trust is something that builds over time, and can be gone in a moment. Staying aware of how your branding and marketing influences overall trust, will allow you to re-evaluate how, when, and where you look to build brand awareness and loyalty with your audience.