How to Build a Trusted Brand: 5 Key Insights for Trust in Distrustful Times

You already know the importance of trust but are you thinking about this important form of capital the right way?

In this edition of Plain Talk, we’ll explore brands looking at trust as something to be built rather than just simply something to protect. You’ll also learn how to build a trusted brand using five key insights.

• Is Distrust on the Rise, and If So, Why?
• Is Brand Trust Built, Given, Or Protected?
• How to Build a Trusted Brand: 5 Key Insights
• Get Expert Guidance on How to Build a Trusted Brand

Is Distrust on the Rise, and If So, Why?

For many years trust was viewed as something individuals or groups start out as having by default but can lose over time based on their actions. In other words, we have more to lose than to gain, right? While this seems rational, and thinking of it this way is comforting, it isn’t our current reality. In Edelman’s 2022 trust barometer study, the number one key finding was alarming: “Distrust is society’s default emotion.” Almost six out of 10 study respondents said they tend to distrust something until they see evidence that they should trust it.

It’s difficult to measure trust in a completely general sense, but there are several data sources that have measured trust in various types of organizations over time. For instance, the Pew Research Center has been a source for measuring trust in the U.S. government since the late 1950s. At the time of their latest release (in May of 2022), only 20% of Americans responded that they trust the government to do the right thing, at least most of the time. By comparison, that’s 14% worse than the 34% that trusted the government to do the right thing most of the time in 1974, right after Watergate. The last time that more than 30% trusted the government to do the right thing, at least most of the time, was in 2005.

The shift from trust to distrust

The Edelman study measures trust across a broader spectrum with 28 countries represented and four categories of institutions (business, NGOs, government, and media). The Edelman study hasn’t been around as long (2001 was the first year of the study), but it, too, has shown a steady downward trend in trust, with 2022 being the first year of the 22-year study that showed distrust as society’s default rather than trust. In the Edelman study for 2022, businesses were the most trusted type of institution, with NGOs being second, government third, and media being last.

There are many likely causes for the shift from trust to distrust during the 21^st century. Increases in fraud, “fake news” reports, and division in both politics and media reporting are all likely to have been contributing factors to the trend. Social behavior shifts, such as how people consume news and how and where social interactions take place—with much of this activity now being over social media platforms—are also likely causes for the shift. The COVID-19 global healthcare crisis also caused rises in fear and suspicion. This, in turn, may have fostered an increase in distrust of various institutions among many individuals, as well as a novel opportunity for scammers.

Is Brand Trust Built, Given, Or Protected?

At PriceWeber, we talk about trust a lot. It’s one of the agency’s five core values. We also work with clients in several high-trust verticals, such as financial services, healthcare, and legal services. Whether we’re thinking about trust as it relates to our agency or thinking about how to build a trusted brand for the companies we work with, we work to keep in mind the multi-dimensional nature of trust.

Earn trust in a meaningful way

Trust isn’t something you can just manufacture from within your walls—at least not when it comes to building trust with external audiences. Trust is a two-way street. In one lane is the person or group that’s building trust, and in the other are those that must give their trust. For this reason, the development of trust requires engagements between your organization and those whose trust you wish to earn. Brands must walk the right line of taking actions that earn trust while also engaging with audiences in a meaningful manner. When this is done correctly, it’s viewed as an ongoing relationship where the organization must protect and enhance the trust over time versus a finite transaction where trust is received, and then the organization moves on to other activities.

Building trust requires brands to take the initiative and patiently trust that external audiences will reciprocate. They must also remaining vigilant in protecting and enhancing the trust relationship over time. However, this can seem like a considerable effort. Well, it is. Yet when considering the most valuable asset an organization can have, surely we can agree that it deserves more resources for acquisition and maintenance than just the spare change found under the break room sofa cushions.

How to Build a Trusted Brand: 5 Key Insights

1. Have an internal culture of trust

Yes, building trust from external audiences means engaging with those audiences. But if you don’t have a culture of trust within your organization, then anything you do externally seems hollow. The benefits of trust within an organization are both powerful and far-reaching. In his book The Speed of Trust, Stephen M. R. Covey said, “Trust is the glue of life. It’s the most essential ingredient in effective communication.” He viewed trust within a business or organization as not only something that can unite a group but something that can make it considerably more productive. In the absence of trust, behaviors such as micromanagement and suspicious speculation run rampant. With trust, entities can have significantly better culture and profitability.

But how does this affect perspectives outside of your organization? Consumers care about how organizations treat their employees, and now more than ever, employees have a voice outside your organization. While social media catches a lot of blame for exacerbating distrust, it also gives employees a louder voice than they had before. The employees of an organization with a strong culture of trust can be powerful advocates for the brand. This extends to past employees as well as the friends and families of employees who gain knowledge of how the organization treats people. Developing a reputation as a trustworthy company can help keep talent as well as acquire new talent and customers.

2. Stand up for what matters to the brand

It’s understandable for brands and business leaders to exercise caution when it comes to addressing social issues. However, when framed correctly, taking a stance on issues or policies a brand believes in can be very beneficial. The below graphic from the 2022 Edelman study shows a large gap between respondents that said businesses aren’t doing enough when it comes to each issue listed below versus respondents that said businesses are overstepping.

One key point to note is the distinction between advocating for policies or social issues and engaging in political discourse. Brands should prioritize the former, acting on their beliefs in policies, social issues, and values, rather than endorsing specific politicians or parties. Collaborating with non-profit organizations that share their values can effectively drive positive change without delving into political matters, as non-profits are often perceived as trustworthy by people with varying perspectives.

3. Establish trust through SEO and online reputation management

It’s a funny paradox, but in an age when many say they don’t trust the news media or big businesses, they still trust what appears in Google search results—news or not. Authority has been a heavily discussed phrase in SEO circles for some time now, and with good reason. Establishing authority with Google is crucial for boosting impressions and traffic through organic search. Additionally, a pass-along effect occurs when users perceive brands ranking highly for various phrases as trustworthy and authoritative on those topics.

Online reviews

Along with online authority, online reviews are another multi-pronged SEO factor. Positive Google Business reviews can have a large impact on a brand’s ranking with Google. Strong ratings are also a powerful verification tool for the users who see them. With trust in the news media declining, the influence of online reviews is positioned to grow.

4. Leverage public relations

This might seem like a contradiction after showing data that trust in the news media is on the decline. Trust in the news media is declining. However, it’s important for brands to leverage PR effectively to build trust. These can both be true statements. How? If a particular group is prone to not trusting large national media outlets, that doesn’t mean they distrust local news affiliates. In fact, according to a Gallup/Knight Foundation poll, six in 10 Americans trust local news more than their national counterparts.

Trade media

Trade media is another avenue that is generally viewed as being credible. It’s often viewed as an advocate for a company’s respective industry. This means that knowing your audience and what they trust is more important than ever right now. This can be a great thing for mid-sized brands that can be strategic when it comes to PR. It means it isn’t just all about the size of your megaphone. Brands that frequently offer press access to top executives come off as being highly transparent. Quality online press is also very impactful when it comes to building authority with search engines. This makes it very difficult to have great SEO improvement without a strong PR strategy to back it up.

5. Be consistent

Being consistent can mean a lot of things for a brand. However, the first thing that comes to mind for most people in this context is consistency of branding. This is very important. But if you’re thinking about consistency only as it applies to your branding then you’re thinking about it too narrowly. With fraud and online scams at an all-time high users are more suspicious than ever. Recipients scrutinize everything from the channel and sender’s information to the subject line, branding, copy formatting, and even the communication cadence. Each aspect contributes to how the message is perceived and received.

Brands that don’t want their customers to second-guess must adhere to standardized communication practices. For absolute consistency, though, brands must look beyond direct communications to customers. Your website, signage, social posts, sales presentations, employer branding materials, and more are all opportunities to exercise consistency.

Get Expert Guidance on How to Build a Trusted Brand

Despite the societal trend toward distrust, the Sophocles quote, “Trust dies but mistrust blossoms,” doesn’t have to be an absolute fate for all brands. There are many tools and tactics at your disposal that allow you to show the great values your organization upholds. There’s a good chance you’re already taking many of the actions needed to build and nourish trust. However, you may be in need of an overarching strategy along with some tweaks and optimizations.

For help improving the trust of your brand, give us a call at 502-499-4209 or contact us online!