#brand-trust

#brand-trust

For years, brands tried to split the difference by hiring a PR agency for visibility, an affiliate manager for commerce coverage and affiliate partnerships, and a media buyer for paid social scale. Seven years ago, I, in fact, was one of them as the former VP of Marketing and Founding Team at Ritual. On paper, it made sense. In practice, I found it created silos, competing agendas, and a lack of shared accountability and synergy across agencies and partners.

Trust isn't just a nice-to-have in 2025. It's the foundation for every meaningful customer relationship. In an era of widespread misinformation, rapidly shifting social expectations, and tightening consumer wallets, brand trust is now one of your most valuable currencies. According to recent eMarketer data, 62.7% of B2B marketers agree that branding is critical to long-term success. But here's the challenge: proving ROI on trust-building efforts is notoriously difficult.

The images in question, which include a woman, a car headlight, a spiral staircase, a glass, and a window, were licensed stock photos and not, as the company stated, "what our community has captured with the Phone (3)." Roman Fox, a photographer who captured the car headlight image, confirmed that Nothing had paid for his image through Stills, which was taken two years ago in Paris with a Fujifilm XH2s camera, and not with a phone, let alone a Nothing Phone 3.

A breach is as much a public relations emergency as it is a security failure. Brands that thrive will be those where the CMO and CISO have forged a unified front.

Consumer interest in experiences and live events is rising with trusted brands having permission to help consumers experience more by leveraging loyalty rewards...

The CARES Framework proposes that the next era of brand trust will be shaped by how brands proactively address five core dimensions of consumer well-being.

When businesses neglect workforce compliance, they risk not only operational inefficiencies but also a significant erosion of trust among employees and customers alike.

In times of uncertainty, marketers must focus on fostering trust by emphasizing value, emotional connections, product quality, social proof, and flexible options.

How do we ensure our genuine efforts to create social impact actually resonate with the people we want to reach?