Brand Trust in 2020 – More Important than Ever
What is Brand Trust?
Brand trust is defined as 'the willingness of the average consumer to rely on the ability of the brand to perform its stated function’. That is, does the consumer believe that the brand will deliver on its promise? A trustworthy brand is one that consistently keeps its promise through the way it develops, sells, services, and advertises its products. Importantly, a trustworthy brand will be one who delivers that promise even when a crisis arises for the business, or let’s say, for the entire world.
Brand trust leads to brand loyalty. A consumer who trusts the brand is more willing to stick with the brand, pay a premium, and buy new products when the brand expands in existing or new categories. According the 2020 Edelman Trust Barometer Report, trust in a brand is second only to price when it comes to what customers focus on most in buying a new brand or becoming a loyal customer of a brand. Most customers feel that trust is becoming more important to them than it has in the past.
Brand Trust During a Global Pandemic
Amid the pandemic, customers are now expecting brands to step up and play an active role in solving the challenges that everyone is facing. According the Edelman Report, 44% of consumers say that in order to earn or retain their trust, brands must dedicate money and resources to help people meet pandemic-related challenges. Consumers feel vulnerable, and they feel that they rely on brands more than ever to get through day-to-day challenges. Many are also struggling financially and can’t afford to waste money. Brands who empathize with this and respond accordingly will continue to win long after the pandemic is over.
There are several brands that have stepped up to be good stewards of society and to meet customers where they are during the crisis. Of particular note is Uber’s Stay Home Campaign, where the company urged its millions of riders to stay home while pledging to assist healthcare workers, feed first responders, and help local communities. This was an extremely powerful move for a brand which stands for the constant movement of people and goods. Uber actually thanked its customers for not using its services. The captivating ad campaign was accompanied by very real actions on behalf of the company:
Uber Health is providing free transportation for frontline healthcare workers
Uber Eats is working together with local governments to offer free meals to first responders and healthcare workers
Uber Eats is waiving the delivery fee for more than 100,000 restaurants
Uber Freight is donating the delivery of essential goods like food and face masks to healthcare facilities and food banks
The company quickly updated its delivery experience to include contactless delivery to help customers feel safe
They recently launched Uber Connect, a same-day delivery service to help you send care packages to loved ones when you aren’t able to send them yourself.
These actions are generous, and of course resulted in generous mentions and earned media. This earned media in turn made these commitments memorable in the minds of the consumers, who will perhaps trust the brand more once they start using ride-sharing again.
How (Not) to Earn Trust
Customers expect brands to meet the needs of both customer and their local communities. To maintain credibility, this commitment should be reflected in every facet of the business – especially in the way customers personally experience the brand’s products and services. Personal experience with the brand is the number one way to gain trust with customers and earned media is second, while paid media is the least effective way. Conversely, earned media is the number one way to lose trust with customers.
The brand Everlane, a company known for “radical transparency”, was recently under investigation for workplace treatment allegations. The heavily publicized findings of that investigation revealed that disparaging language was used to discuss black employees. It also revealed that the processes for fair promotion or managing workplace harassment were not as transparent as its supply chain.
As Everlane is already experiencing pandemic-related setbacks, it is extremely important for the brand to immediately acknowledge and address what they are going to do to solve these problems. The company says it’s partnering with racism accountability organizations, fast-tracking antiracism training for all employees, and prioritizing Black candidates for one senior leadership position and one board position. The question is whether it will be enough in the eyes of consumers to recapture their trust.
Brand trust is not easily earned but very easily broken. Especially in these tumultuous times of 2020, brands need to re-evaluate whether every single part of the business (product offerings, services, HR processes, company culture) is delivering on their brand promise. This is especially true if these promises are based on higher order values of fairness, transparency, and equality. Customers care more than ever if you fail to keep your word. Identify and address any issues from the inside out, and brand trust with the customer will follow.
The views in this article are purely my own. In no way is this article related to, informed by or endorsed by my employer.