Brand Trust Doesn’t Live in Marketing

“Let’s say your brand is doing all the right things, or at least enough that you can start sharing it to improve genuine brand trust. That’s great! Now what?

As a brand leader, this is the part of building trust that is in your jurisdiction. But how do you let people know, without diminishing that hard-earned trust in the process? If you can’t say ‘trust us’ (and you can’t), what can you say?” – Shachar Meron, partner & creative strategist at Bluegreen Branding

Trust is key in any relationship, but in today’s world of brands, trust really is the holy grail. But how do brands earn trust, manage to keep their promises, and facilitate transparency in the communication with their customers? Shachar Meron, partner & creative strategist at Bluegreen Branding and one of our Brandingmag contributors, recently opened our eyes on brand trust and how to gain it through actions and messaging.

Is your brand trustworthy?

Shachar suggests to start by thinking how your brand would answer these questions:

❓ Do our customers feel we’re trustworthy (our offering and company)? Do we do right by them? How do we know? Do they tell us, share reviews, rate us?

❓ How does our product perform vs. expectations (the experience and results)? Any strengths we can leverage? Any hiccups to improve upon?

❓ How’s our corporate behavior? Do we have clear strategic priorities and a plan to address and communicate them? Are we following through?

❓ How are we living our company values? Do we have tangible plans around things like community, sustainability, diversity, transparency, and accountability?

❓ How do our actions compare to competitors? Are we all doing the same thing? What’s table stakes? Are we creating impact or just noise? 

How to demonstrate trust without saying “trust us”

Now that you understand where you stand, here are some tactics Sachar recommends for upping your brand’s trustworthiness:

1. Collect trustworthy endorsements

Inventory any relevant recognition and awards, certifications, regulation compliance, and relationships with respected parties (trade media, impartial influencers, etc.). If your industry has a go-to 3rd party ranking platform, see how you rank and encourage people to rate you there. Formalize a referral process with your best partners. And, of course, gather and showcase happy customer testimonials.

🤝 Trust tactic

Your employees may be your most valuable brand ambassadors. Do they think highly of your company and believe in it? Do they trust you to do right by customers, employees, and society at large? Encourage them to share that with friends, family, and peers at other companies. People are more likely to trust a brand that treats its employees well, but only if they know about it.

2. Be uncomfortably transparent

Share how you’re performing on key metrics – not just with shareholders but also with customers, employees, and, if you’re feeling bold, the public. State goals that matter to you and take actions that make steady, incremental progress; share results even (especially!) when they’re not entirely favorable. The purpose isn’t to brag, it’s to show humility and a sincere desire to improve. 

🤝 Trust tactic

Start small. Identify three areas where you can share more with a select audience. For clients, one Forrester study showed the “three most important qualities a B2B brand should possess – clear full pricing, a visible inventory, and content about company processes – all relate to transparency.” 

3. Facilitate trust between others

As people increasingly transact with those they don’t know, building trust between strangers only becomes more important. Sometimes this happens on a limited scale, like when you serve as a job reference or write a product review. Other times, it’s a core part of a brand’s value proposition or even business model. In these cases, you’re not saying “trust me” but rather “we help people trust each other”. And who can’t get behind that?

🤝 Trust tactic

Offer sincere, public praise for a competitor, notably one that is in your market or community. No harm in calling out something they do right, and it reflects well on your own integrity. Like a waiter who recommends a cheaper bottle of wine, it establishes you’re willing to do what’s best for the customer even to your own detriment, which then strengthens trust for more meaningful interactions down the line. Keeping your competitors on their toes is a bonus.

We’re interested in your thoughts. Are you already implementing some of these tactics? Which one(s) do you find most difficult or most effective? Let us know in the comments below ⬇

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