Why brand trust is declining and how marketers can earn it back

Brand trust is on the decline. The combination of rapidly emerging technologies, an abundance of misinformation and unethical data use is putting consumers on edge.

The trust metrics are proof. Only 30% of consumers trust companies highly, and only 61% trust business leaders to tell the truth.

Trust is integral to long-term consumer loyalty. Without a relationship with a brand, what keeps customers returning or motivates them to advocate for your brand to their friends and family?

A lack of brand-consumer trust keeps your organization stuck in constant hustle-based marketing with only short-term returns.

Why is this happening?

Several factors have caused consumer trust to decline over the years, especially in the past decade.

Consumers are more savvy (and more choosy)

Consumers are inundated with digital content. In response,  consumers are filtering what they engage with, favoring content that provides personal value over content designed to interrupt. This makes individual consumer journeys more complex than ever, spanning multiple platforms and touchpoints.

Pushing information within these journeys with disregard for individual needs is not an effective marketing method. Marketing must align with where consumers already are or want to be. Misalignment serves experiences consumers do not want and will react negatively to.

AI efficiency vs. authentic interaction

Marketers are excited about generative AI because it empowers brands and content creators to brainstorm and expedite production in unprecedented ways. It saves time and money and is rapidly improving. 

On the other hand, AI often misses the mark in making authentic human connections. Inauthentic engagements turn off consumers and continually erode trust. Brands that rely too much on generative AI for storytelling and consumer interactions are overlooking what makes branded content appealing and worth engaging with — those authentic connections.

Everyone’s a publisher 

Marketers and brands must recognize the media, news sites, publishers and even influencers as competitors. Each seeks attention and tries to reach consumers, creating more noise and divergent narratives.

Because all these entities can become powerful resources in their own right, there’s less space than ever for marketers to make meaningful connections with consumers online. Delivering an authentic brand narrative and experience is challenging in this environment. 

Brands are at risk of losing more than attention to these competitors. They may also lose control of their own narratives. They must face these complex dynamics head-on to craft a narrative that fosters deep connections.

Dig deeper: How to turn your brand into a performance publisher

Restoring consumer trust

Marketers must work to build strong, trusting relationships with consumers to truly connect with them and build lifetime loyalty. How?

Offer the right solutions

Building trust is about giving consumers the answers they’re looking for on their terms. When you deeply understand what your consumer wants, you can build it and leave it for them to discover when they’re ready. Deliver what they actually want, with content experiences to match and you’ll get through to them.

Let humans lead, not AI

Leveraging AI tools for marketing demands human oversight, guidance and input. By itself, AI cannot authentically connect with humans because it lacks that undeniable human element. That’s why marketers should drive AI tools, subjecting their output to human review and not treating AI as a total connection solution.

Dig deeper: AI in marketing: How to balance automation and the human touch

Take control of your story

Strengthen and align your core brand messages and stories. Tell your story online through your owned assets before other online publishers define your narrative and consumer journey for you.

The time is now

Building trust is about providing consumers with the answers they’re looking for on their terms. If you build a strong digital footprint that’s informed by the consumer journey and puts consumer needs at the forefront, authentically connecting with more people becomes possible. 

Delivering needs-driven value to consumers early in the journey (and throughout it) defines and defends your narrative and captures consumer attention. Don’t cede either to the competition — use your owned assets as the delivery method. This is how to rebuild and regain the trust that authentic connection thrives on.