#brand-trust

#brand-trust

For years, marketing to the "general market" was a reliable path to growth. Broad reach, consistent messaging, and scale-driven efficiency helped brands build awareness and momentum.

To paraphrase a quote credited to poet and author Maya Angelou, people forget what you say and do, but they never forget how you make them feel. That understanding is becoming increasingly relevant in modern marketing, where differentiation is driven as much by emotional experience as by execution. For agencies, this means thinking beyond deliverables to the full experience clients and audiences have at every touchpoint.

In the digital age, executive reputation is one of the biggest brand success factors. It impacts everything from brand sentiment, trust and equity to its market value. Why? Positive executive visibility can boost investor confidence, influence media sentiment and increase customer and employee loyalty. Yet there's been a steep trust decline: 68% of people globally believe business leaders "purposely mislead people." And when social media gives crisis moments a viral megaphone, it becomes even more challenging to achieve and maintain a positive reputation.

Over time, you learn that trust is not built in the moment of a sale, but in the quiet consistency that comes before and after it. It's about listening more than you speak, remembering the small things that matter to people, and showing up when it counts. Homes are where people live their stories, and when you help them find one, you become part of that story too.

As today's technology and political divisions continue to evolve, "fake news" and AI-generated deepfakes continue to blur the lines between fact and fiction. Companies face growing pressure to take a stand on truth and transparency, especially when their own brand is being misrepresented. However, determining how proactive to be-and when to step back-can be a delicate balancing act. To help, Forbes Communications Council members explain how companies can responsibly engage in the fight against misinformation while protecting credibility, trust and brand integrity.

For years, brands tried to split the difference by hiring a PR agency for visibility, an affiliate manager for commerce coverage and affiliate partnerships, and a media buyer for paid social scale. Seven years ago, I, in fact, was one of them as the former VP of Marketing and Founding Team at Ritual. On paper, it made sense. In practice, I found it created silos, competing agendas, and a lack of shared accountability and synergy across agencies and partners.

Trust isn't just a nice-to-have in 2025. It's the foundation for every meaningful customer relationship. In an era of widespread misinformation, rapidly shifting social expectations, and tightening consumer wallets, brand trust is now one of your most valuable currencies. According to recent eMarketer data, 62.7% of B2B marketers agree that branding is critical to long-term success. But here's the challenge: proving ROI on trust-building efforts is notoriously difficult.

The images in question, which include a woman, a car headlight, a spiral staircase, a glass, and a window, were licensed stock photos and not, as the company stated, "what our community has captured with the Phone (3)." Roman Fox, a photographer who captured the car headlight image, confirmed that Nothing had paid for his image through Stills, which was taken two years ago in Paris with a Fujifilm XH2s camera, and not with a phone, let alone a Nothing Phone 3.

A breach is as much a public relations emergency as it is a security failure. Brands that thrive will be those where the CMO and CISO have forged a unified front.

Consumer interest in experiences and live events is rising with trusted brands having permission to help consumers experience more by leveraging loyalty rewards...

The CARES Framework proposes that the next era of brand trust will be shaped by how brands proactively address five core dimensions of consumer well-being.

When businesses neglect workforce compliance, they risk not only operational inefficiencies but also a significant erosion of trust among employees and customers alike.

In times of uncertainty, marketers must focus on fostering trust by emphasizing value, emotional connections, product quality, social proof, and flexible options.

How do we ensure our genuine efforts to create social impact actually resonate with the people we want to reach?