Brand trust means treating people like people, not consumers

Our industry often forgets the end experience of the very people we’re trying to target, warns the7stars’ head of insight and analytics

While the marketing industry continues to grapple with the challenges of the cookieless future, it is easy to forget what really matters to people right now when it comes to brand choice.

BrewDog learnt the hard way last month when a group of ex-employees blasted the craft beer firm for its terrible company culture.

Before them, the Boohoo boycott shined a light on unethical and unsustainable manufacturing standards.

These high-profile fallouts are a timely reminder that a brand’s credentials go way beyond just their product or service offering.

In an age where poor business practices can become social media storms in a matter of minutes, this is a good opportunity to pause and take stock of what we’ve seen and heard over the past 12 months when it comes to buying brands that you trust.

The7stars’ quarterly tracker (The QT) has monitored consumer sentiment and intent since 2016. Most recently, the pandemic and lockdown that followed, brought about a significant shift in how people are feeling about life and their intentions towards media and brand consumption.

Trust, it turns out, is high on the agenda. At a time of both social and economic uncertainty this isn’t wholly surprising. But the data that backs it up certainly has interesting opportunities for brands to take note of in terms of building trust and meeting consumer expectations.

Why trust matters more than ever

Seven in 10 Brits agree that trusting a brand is more important to them now than it was in the past.  In fact, looking beyond the traditional rational metrics of quality and value, our data reveals that the current top drivers of brand choice are more emotionally grounded in trust related metrics.

Meanwhile, 60% agreed that feeling like they were being put first by a brand had become more important in the past year.  People want to be treated like people. Not consumers. It might seem like a minor point in terms of language, but it’s a big deal in terms of the sentiment and positioning that brands need to get right.

In an industry that often forgets the end experience of the very people we’re trying to target, this is telling.

Two in three Brits agreed reputation (a long held shortcut for trust) had become more important in pandemic times.

Given the recent turbulent times, people turn to safer bets, with their money being spent with brands that come with a presumed level of expectation.  In fact, ‘knowing what to expect’ was cited as the top driver of brand trust for those aged 18- to 34-years-old.

With the recent shift in shopping behaviour towards ecommerce, it’s no surprise to learn that 55% said the online shopping experience of a brand had become a more important factor in brand choice.  A seamless online environment from browsing through to payment has now become table stakes.

On the flipside, being seen as a ‘category leader’ and having ‘brand heritage’ were the two factors that have become less important drivers of brand choice over time, as consumers lean towards a more relatable human experience with the brands they trust and want to consume.

This desire for human connection was also seen in the eight in 10 who agreed that how a brand had responded to the pandemic had become an important factor in brand choice.  A further one in three say they have changed their shopping behaviours because of a brand’s positive response to the pandemic – whether that was a result of how the brand treated its customers and/or employees.

Building trust

Start from within: There’s a greater expectation than ever before that good brand behaviour starts from within.

Whether it’s a commitment to becoming a net zero company or being a vocal anti-racist advocate in your industry, actions speak louder than words.  Consumers have an expectation that brands these days embody a more inclusive and responsible behaviour, that’s embedded within a company’s culture.

Promote your best assets: Whether your trusted credentials are rooted in reputation or experience – make it count.  Building on existing assets is the most authentic way to ensure your trust credentials remain true to the core values of your brand proposition, and to ensure they are at the heart of any communication messages.

Consistency in the communication of trust metrics will also help build confidence and credibility among a wider audience beyond your existing customer base.

Measure and monitor: Know what your drivers of brand trust are and measure them.  Knowledge is power – tracking metrics over time provides a longitudinal view on the direction of brand engagement, while in the short-term measurement versus competitors provides insight into how consumers view the wider landscape.

Keep your consumers close: Never more so than now, it is worth having frequent communication and consultation with consumers. The cultural landscape continues to evolve at pace, which provides an opportunity to build better relationships with the very audiences we’re trying to engage.

As their world evolves, so too should a brand’s response on what really matters, how to be helpful, and how to ensure trust metrics remain relevant.

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The current desire for trusted brands is one that all brands can respond to and benefit from. Demonstrate your brand credentials and what to expect, deliver an enjoyable and seamless experience both off and online, and be human and do the right thing.

Oh, and stop talking about people being consumers.  They’re people.