You just can’t manufacture trust

Edelman’s Trust Barometer 2009 has shown us that trust is one of the biggest issues facing brands across the world. With trust in American brands down 77%, and the UK, France and Germany clinging onto an abysmal 36%, only emerging economies such as China and Brazil are seeing an improvement on last year. And the bottom line is that lack of trust costs big bucks; 91% of the 25 - 64 year olds polled say they buy from a company they trust and 77% refuse to buy from one they distrust.

It makes it even more amazing that companies are still trying to squeeze essentially untrustworthy marketing into social media in the hope of gaining a foothold. The US are particularly prone - John McCain’s attempt to recreate some Obama word of mouth magic, by offering ‘incentives’ to those who participate, has been dubbed astroturfing, the opposite of inspiring genuine grassroots support.

What makes you trust another person? Honesty and consistency, over time. There is no short cut to trust; it has to be earned by proving that you are committed to listening to people, engaging with them on a long-term basis, and actually responding to their needs and preferences. As the Edelman study shows, it ain’t just about cultivating the warm and fuzzies, but surviving economically as a brand.

Brought into the world on Monday, April 6th, 2009 and filed under Uncategorized.