This week, we're digging into brand trust with Catrina McAuliffe, SVP of Brand Strategy at Marketing Architects. We look at what brand trust is, how to measure it, how to build it back after you've lost it, and whether advertising can do any of that heavy lifting.
—Elena
93% of campaigns that deliver very large trust gains also record at least one very large business effect.
Plus, trust-building campaigns are 41% more likely to drive meaningful business results than the average campaign.
How should marketers measure brand trust beyond a simple tracker question?
You should measure it in two layers: what people say (a direct trust rating) and what people do. Pair your trust score with real behavior such as complaints data, returns, social sentiment, repeat purchase rates, and willingness to pay more. When Domino's publicly acknowledged their product problems, changed the pizza, and backed it with a campaign, same-store sales rose nearly 10%.
What's the most common mistake brands make with brand measurement?
Brand health data stays in the research department and never reaches the teams who can act on it, which Catrina calls a "vibes recital." There's also a wrinkle large brands need to consider: bigger brands naturally score better on attitude metrics, making it easy to mistake being large for being loved.
Can advertising build trust, or does it only amplify trust that's already been earned?
Advertising is an accelerant, but only if the business has genuinely changed. Domino's worked because the pizza changed first. On the other hand, Volkswagen is a cautionary tale. No amount of advertising closed the trust gap after their emissions scandal.
Where does TV fit in building brand trust?
TV legitimizes and amplifies. Thinkbox data shows that ads in regulated environments are seen as 44% more trustworthy than those in unregulated ones.
"Campaigns That Drive Trust Are More Likely to Deliver Business Impact"
This Marketing Week analysis of the IPA Effectiveness Data Bank makes the case that trust is a metric that affects the entire business in a meaningful way.
The Impact of Trust.
"If people like you, they will listen to you, but if they trust you, they’ll do business with you."
— Zig Ziglar
This newsletter comes from the hosts of The Marketing Architects, a research-first show answering your biggest marketing questions. Find us on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen to podcasts.