Trust offers competitive edge — but businesses are failing to deliver it

Companies that measure trust as a board-level KPI are believed to be over three times more likely to report stronger profits than those that don’t, yet only 22% of companies are prioritising this metric.
That is one takeaway from Bridging the Trust Gap, a new report from the IPA and the Financial Times. It highlighted that, despite its clear commercial impact, most industries are underperforming on trust.
“Trust is not a ‘nice to have’. It’s a strategic competitive advantage,” the study said.
It is clear that trust is becoming key to securing long-term business success, with over half of B2B decision-makers stating that they feel trust in business has become much more important.
Moreover, the report revealed that trust is now the second most powerful metric, after product or service quality, for driving business outcomes such as profit, market share and acquisition — up from sixth place 20 years ago.
In the face of rising uncertainty, reduced human contact and increased concerns around data and AI, the gap between customer, client and partner expectations from brands and the reality of what businesses are delivering is growing.
As the report noted, most business sectors are currently perceived as more untrustworthy than trustworthy.
The consequences of inaction regarding the trust deficit were identified as loss of revenue, stagnant growth and reduced market influence.
The IPA and FT have put forward a framework to bridge trust gaps, stating that brands should focus on five key pillars: competence, reliability, integrity, secure data systems and the right intent.
Additionally, the study emphasised measurement needs to include all stakeholders, not just customers, and should be implemented across the various stages of a purchase or relationship to determine when gaps in trust occur.
FT CEO Jon Slade said: “Trust has too often been viewed as intangible and unmeasurable by business, overlooked in favour of profit and margins, which are readily conveyable to the board.
“Our latest report explores trust not as an abstract ideal but as a measurable driver of business performance — in marketing, in brand strength and, importantly, to the bottom line.”
The report made clear that the human factor still plays an essential role in fostering trust.
Notably, 69% of business decision-makers disagreed with the statement “trusting a piece of technology is the same as trusting a human”. Additionally, only 9% said they felt they can trust generative AI.
The report also showed media channel choice is key to delivering trust of a brand, with 60% of respondents stating they were more likely to trust the company or product advertised when seen in, or aligned with, a trusted media brand, particularly business news brands.
Laurence Green, director of effectiveness at the IPA, added: “While attention has previously been pair largely to the notion of trusted communication or trusted brand — both of which spring from emotional connection rather than some rational calculation — there is now more scrutiny than ever of the role of trusted media as carriers for messaging.”
Bridging the Trust Gap draws on insights from over 750 global B2B decision-makers who are part of the FT reader panel.