Brand Trust

Strategic KPIs do not move because they appear in a plan. They move when people change what happens at the touchpoint. That is where the customer hears your message, tests your promise and decides whether to continue. If the experience does not build the right trust, the strategy loses force before it reaches the number that matters. So clear a little bandwidth and ask one practical question: “What does my customer need to and would love to trust us for right now?” That quest

When people are under sustained financial and social pressure, trust becomes the deciding factor in how they choose, stay and commit. Not satisfaction. Not sentiment. Trust. In Australia today, confidence in the future is weakening. Only 19% feel optimistic about their future, while 29% feel uncertain. This matters because optimism is more than an emotion. It reflects confidence in a better future. As confidence in broader systems declines, people increasingly look to brands

Likelihood to switch providers in the next 6 months to manage costs Most leadership teams can see declining sales. Few can see declining trust until it’s already affecting growth. Market share may appear stable. Customer metrics may still look healthy. But beneath the surface, customer behaviour is shifting faster than many organisations can respond. Our latest TrustLogic® tracking data across major Australian sectors reveals a growing pressure point: 51% of people are curren

Somewhere along the way, trust got reduced to a baseline. “Be reliable. Perform. Do the right thing.” Sure. Trust hygiene - it’s what customers need to trust you for. It keeps you in the game. But it doesn’t win you the game. Because trust isn’t just a foundation - it’s what makes you the most attractive choice. The critical question is: What would your customers love to trust you for? That’s where the advantage is. That’s what creates pull. That’s what makes you irresistible

Price, performance, and reliability are just the ticket to play. So why is it that the biggest players in almost every category are all stuck at the same average trust scores? It comes down to two things: Perception and Perspective. 1. The "Logic" Gap If you aren't more trusted than the field, you don't have a trust advantage. Effectively, you have given your audience no logical reason to trust and choose you over the others. You are a commodity. In many categories, all play

From the Chair of TrustLogic® The years 2004 and 2005 were a watershed for corporate governance and metrics. Within those twenty-four months, the three concepts that define modern growth drivers were born: RepTrak was launched, NPS (Net Promoter Score) went mainstream, and we finalised the development of TrustLogic®. Two decades later, most boards and executive teams are drowning in the data NPS and reputation tools produce yet rarely stop to consider how they work in reality

“Understanding the Six Buckets of Trust® has given us a whole new playing field to build, manage and refresh trust with our customers.” That was the feedback from one of our senior executive clients. We need to move away from the outdated notion that trust is just a serious, warm, cuddly or safe thing — something passive or defensive. It’s equally about creating excitement, belief and momentum. Take the Development Trust Bucket . This is the trust in your ability to succeed

Every leader and executive team says trust is important . It shows up in strategy decks, values statements, presentations, brand work, and transformation programs. It is talked about constantly. But very few organisations actually manage trust as a system . Most still treat trust as a notion or byproduct . If experience improves, trust will improve. If reputation rises, trust will follow. If engagement increases, trust will come with it. Trust becomes something that is expect

You’ve probably seen it before. A brand dominates awareness. Usage looks strong. The numbers say everything is fine. And then trust enters the conversation — briefly. We nod. We agree it matters. And almost immediately, the organisation drifts back to safer ground: Reputation. NPS. Engagement. Satisfaction. Why? Because most organisations don’t actually know how trust works and tell themselves another proxy measure is "close enough". So when the result shows up, the conversa

Looking at responses on a 0 to 10 scale, customers who gave 0 to 6 scores weren’t very loyal. They didn’t spend much and often needed a lot of service, which made them a costly group. Scores of 7 and 8 showed some positive sentiment but no strong loyalty or growth. But the 9s and 10s? They behaved differently. They stayed longer, spent more, and actively recommended. So, the NPS formula was created: subtract the percentage of detractors (0 to 6) from promoters (9 to 10). The

The Challenge A large FMCG organisation had acquired several businesses over a short period, creating ongoing restructuring and integration challenges . Each business retained its own identity and culture rather than aligning with the wider organisation, resulting in fragmentation, low engagement, and a lack of unified direction . To move forward, the leadership team needed clarity on what would build trust across all teams, cities, and countries , and a way to bring everyo

One of the biggest misunderstandings in business is the idea that trust is all about comfort, safety, and reassurance. It isn’t. Trust is how people make decisions. They don’t split hairs — they go with the one they trust more. Full stop. Which means your ability to build more trust than your competitors isn’t just nice to have — it’s your single biggest competitive lever. Because when they trust you more, they choose you. They give you their time, money, effort, loyalty,

The Challenge An infrastructure investment fund was competing for more than $1 billion in investor commitment from a major overseas partner. The fund had a strong track record but was smaller and less established than its competitors, creating perceptions of higher risk and limited capability. To secure the investment, the leadership team needed to understand what would build decisive trust with the investor group and apply that understanding in every interaction leading up t

But what makes us trustworthy as leaders? That’s a question many wrestle with. They see trust as critical , but few have paused to clearly define what makes them trustworthy. Instead, they talk in vague terms about “personal brand” or being “good at building relationships.” They’re often surprised when we help them break it down — when we uncover and articulate their real trust profile using the six dimensions of TrustLogic®. Take me as an example in the dimension of Relati

The Opportunity A leading media company was facing stagnation and growing internal pressure as audiences and advertisers shifted rapidly across digital platforms. Customer churn was rising, confidence among staff was declining, and transformation efforts had stalled. The business needed to restore belief — internally and externally — by rebuilding trust, reenergising relationships, and reigniting growth. The goal: to create a brand and experience transformation anchored in ve

“Isn’t actively building trust already a breach of trust?” It’s a legitimate question, one we occasionally get from clients. And yes, taken the wrong way, focusing on building trust can feel manipulative. Self-serving. But is that what’s really happening? No. And people who think so get it wrong. Let’s look at it from your audience’s perspective. Take us, for example. The more you trust us, the more likely you are to engage. You’ll read a piece like this. You might reach out.

The Opportunity A leading international law firm set out to create a single, trusted brand following a merger across Asia-Pacific and...

The Opportunity: As a pilot for global use, the Aid Organisation wanted to encourage significantly more one-off donations during their...

Trust matters everywhere — with customers, your people, investors, regulators, and the media. But most importantly: do you know how to...

A global client reversed multi-year sales decline with a 53% boost in conversions by focusing on audience trust drivers: Relationship & Benefit Trust.