The New York Times headline screamed: Now, Worse Than Ever! Cynicism in Advertising! That was in August of 1997.
Can you imagine the state of play 22 years later?
Surely by now people are jaded; veteran cynics who have good cause to doubt what advertisers promise. How does a brand come through this valley of doubt? Once upon a time, fake was a rarity. Now genuine is a rarity.
In my opinion, it all comes down to good old fashion trust. Are you trusted? Is what you make trusted? Is the service you provide trusted? If you don’t have trust, you’ve got nothing. That’s why the neighbourhood shopkeeper from my childhood would give me and my siblings goods that my Mom sent for without us having to pay, because he knew that my mother would show up to pay for whatever he gave us.
Trust boils down to telling the truth over and over until it turns into a reputation. And just like in families and friendships, companies and brands must tell the truth at every touchpoint. This is something that Anna Maclean, strategic planner at Glasgow-based Stand agrees with: “As in a decent relationship, without trust, there is nothing. Trust takes time, positive experiences and sometimes, reassurance from others. There are consumers who are willing to try new products and experiences without prior knowledge of them but for the masses to be converted, brands need to give consumers a reason to believe in them.”
So how does a brand build trust?
I think it must start with people, the people behind the brand. If people trust the leaders of the company they work for, they are more likely to produce good work, which leads to trusted brands. What I say about my boss is what I say about my brand. “The boss is not here, so you will have to call back”, is always a signal to me that all is not well in that company. It probably also means that you won’t have a company with brands that people value. People value brands only if brands value people, starting with their own.
So, what would your employees answer to this question: Do you trust your company? Do you trust your boss?
