3 strategies for building consumer trust

“Trust us.”

It’s often the unspoken foundation and ultimate goal of every brand’s advertising and messaging. When you ask people for their money, time, engagement, or advocacy, you’re asking them to trust that you’ll live up to the expectations you set. Every interaction is an opportunity for brands to build trust—or break it—and  it all hinges on the experience provided.

In a national consumer study led by Monigle, we asked 15,000 people to share their thoughts on trust, and what brands can do to earn it.

Their stories revealed three key strategies that brands can implement to not only establish trust, but sustain it.

1. Keep your promises

“Brands can get me to trust them by being honest and ethical in their business practices, by delivering the goods or services as advertised, and by being open.” – Male consumer, Northeastern U.S.

Trust between a brand and its consumers isn’t all that different from any other relationship. People expect follow through and actions reflecting your words.  Many respondents emphasized that they place trust in brands that deliver exactly what they promise and act in alignment with their stated values.  If a brand’s products, services, and overall experience align with expectations, it fosters transparency and honesty, which are cornerstones of lasting trust.

Think about the story your organization is telling. Are you communicating your brand values and commitments? Do those claims live up to the way your brand behaves across physical, digital, and human touchpoints? Remember that people don’t expect perfection, but they do expect honestly.

 2. Deliver consistent experiences

“A brand you can trust is one where you receive a consistent experience, every time.” – Male consumer, Southern U.S.

When it comes to brand experiences (and life in general), people often prefer predictability over surprises. They value the confidence that comes from knowing exactly what to expect. Many consumers expressed having greater trust in brands that consistently deliver reliable experiences.

The desire for consistency, and the comfort it brings, is an important consideration when evaluating the various touchpoints across your brand experience. Every element of your brand—from design and tone of voice to customer service and company culture—should reinforce a consistent identity.  This sets the tone for the kind of experience consumers can expect in every interaction. It’s a big undertaking and requires taking a holistic view of the customer journey and ongoing assessment of what’s working and what’s not.

Learn more: Enabling a consistent brand experience

3. Put people first, always

 “Patience with the client and having my best interest in mind [develops trust]. If I need help with an issue, I expect the employees to try and do everything in their power to be helpful to my needs.” – Female consumer, Northeastern U.S.

Consumers trust brands that show they care more about the people they serve than the profits they earn. For many, trust is established when brands demonstrate genuine care for customers’ well-being, provide excellent service, and respond quickly to issues that arise.

This one’s simple: treat people like human beings.  It’s easy to lose sight of this fundamental principle. Make sure your culture, service standards, and overall experience are designed with your consumers’ needs in mind—and empower employees to act accordingly.

In a perfect world

Your brand would excel at all three strategies consistently and without fail, and nothing would compromise the trust you’ve built with your consumers. But reality is more complicated.

Our research uncovered the top five reasons brands lose consumer trust:

1. Failing to deliver on promises
2. Inconsistent experiences or products
3. Poor customer service
4. Perceived lack of transparency or ethics (e.g., hidden costs, agendas, ingredients)
5. Large-scale offenses (e.g., data breaches, environmental disasters, major scandals)

Do these challenges sound familiar? To rebuild trust, it’s critical to address issues and clearly demonstrate how you plan to fix them. On a personal level, it comes down to service: people want their concerns addressed with empathy and efficiency.  This is particularly important in high-stakes industries like healthcare, financial services, and other emotionally charged categories. For many consumers, rebuilding trust requires going above and beyond to make things right—and that takes time.

“It’s hard for me to trust brands again. They’re going to have to show me over time that they have changed and rectified whatever caused me to lose trust in them in the first place.” – Female consumer, Midwestern U.S.

The bottom line

It’s easier to maintain trust than repair it.

Focus on the three trust-building strategies we’ve outlined:

1. Keep your promises
2. Deliver consistent experiences
3. Put people first

When brands treat their audience right, it pays off—big time.

Building (or repairing) consumer trust requires sustained commitment. Let’s start a conversation about how your brand can bring these strategies to life.