Brands that act with honesty, integrity and reliability demonstrate the way forward in our Post-Truth world.

Yet the reality for the marketing industry is that not only is there a trust disconnect amongst many consumers & brands, but also between agencies & brand owners, and media owners & advertisers.

The team at Selbey Labs firmly believe that more and more consumers are attracted to brands in which they can genuinely trust and that reflect some of their relevant personal values. When consumers find a brand that matches their beliefs and expectations, or indeed fails to match them, then they increasingly tell others about it, with word of mouth (as ever) being the most trusted form of endorsement, or indeed warning.

Therefore, while society needs to reconnect liberty to equality and accountability; business needs to highlight its connection to trust, truth and authenticity.

It all comes down to a straightforward issue: many of us are fortunate enough to live in a time of extraordinary choices. And if a brand isn’t trustworthy, it’s often easy to reject it in favour of one that is, when choice is available.

Hence, in a distrusting world, the need for brands and organisations to focus on their ‘reputation capital’ where being trustworthy, reliable and competent is an equation for ongoing success.

This paper, part of our ‘Making Sense of…’ series, outlines our thinking whilst referencing a wide range of international research studies, dynamic authors and industry leaders.

Please download the report here: