Trust Me*: A look into Brand Trust in an Era of Distrust
Ah, trust. Today, more than ever, it's
being tested. From the ongoing “fake news” battle between several big
named publishers like Fox News, CNN and New York Times, to 170-character Tweets
by a questionable man I won't name, it has left us all wondering, who can I
trust? In today's highly scrutinized world, Brands, too, are under the trust
microscope.
Digitas, a global marketing and technology agency, set out to tackle this topic at the annual NewFront event. Digitas launched NewFront in 2008 to inspire creative and media opportunities, bringing brands together with content creators, distributors and talent.
This year, the main theme of the event was anchored on the idea of trust, and explored why trust is at an all-time low;
why this matters for brands and how they use technology and storytelling to
build (or rebuild) trust.
Speakers included, Malcolm Gladwell; Nancy
Dubuc, CEO of VICE Media; Bob Garfield, Co-Host of On
The Media; and more.
Scott Donaton, Global Chief Creative Officer at Digitas, believes that in the era of distrust, brands must enter cultural discussions and be part of the conversation. “As we move away from a world of obtrusive, disruptive advertising into a world where people will decide to interact or not with brands, it’s more important than ever to have values and express them."
Bob Garfield, host of On the Media, believes there is a
great mistrust of brands. “People really don’t believe advertising
messages. Native advertising, by tricking readers and viewers into
thinking that they’re looking at organic editorial content, is bartering away
the very resource [of trust that has been built],” he said. Bob believes native advertising as a concept is fine as long as
brands clearly disclose what they are doing, and not just in tiny sponsored by
print.
CVS took a bold stand to recognize how women want to be seen in
advertising. A true and authentic version of themselves. Erin Condon, VP of
Front Store and Omnichannel Marketing at CVS said that this was not created as
a "gimmick" but a "campaign that was about listening to our
customers."
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Podcasting: A Trusted Medium |
The relationship audiences have with podcasts are unique and perhaps don't fall into the same trap as other mediums
when it comes to trust. Author and podcast host of Revisionist History, Malcom Gladwell, along with his business partner and co-founder of Pushkin Industries, Jacob Weisburg, believe "There's no fake news in podcasting. It's opt-in, you build an audience, it's not viral. It's not subject to the same kind of manipulation. And, we've evolved to detect distrust in voices."
The question is, where do we go from here?
The Road Ahead
The road to trust is not an easy one, and can often become winding as it traverses between whats right for the consumer vs. what's right for the brand. Although being consumer-first is always the goal, it's not that easy to stay focused on this.
As a leader in healthcare, CVS is brand who seems to be really paving the way for the next generation of trusted partners. Brands that not only walk the walk, but also talk the talk. As I think about what this means for other brands, my advice would be:
- Do what feels authentic and ownable
- Fail fast, fail often
- Be honest and transparent with your consumers. If you are trialing something new, let them know and let them in on the process.
