Building Trust in Marketing: Approaches Backed by Science

Trust the main aspect for a successful marketing

Trust is a fundamental aspect of human relationships that can mean the difference between life and death. While trust is a complex process that involves several factors, including the evaluation of risk, recent studies show that the human brain is capable of building trust in a range of settings, from online games to brand interactions.

Support for the concept of conditionally dependent trust can be found in a brain-imaging study that investigated whether there are separate neural correlates for conditional and unconditional trust. Using an online reciprocal trust game, researchers found that the paracingulate cortex was involved when inferring another person's intentions, and this structure engaged more primitive systems to then actively maintain partnerships in the game. Specifically, conditional trust activated the ventral tegmental area, a region linked to the evaluation of expected and realized reward, and unconditional trust activated the septal area, a region linked to social attachment behavior.

These findings help to provide a framework to understand how trust may be built in the brain on a conditional to unconditional continuum.

Let's look at some approaches marketers use to encourage consumers to take the risk to buy their products and/or services and move consumers intent along a trust continuum. This article will explore some approaches that marketers can use to build trust with their customers, based on scientific evidence.

Everything is branding

In the world of marketing, everything boils down to branding. Our brains are wired to learn from our surroundings, and we categorize them as either positive or negative based on our experiences. This trait has evolved over time and has helped us make quick and efficient decisions on what to trust and what not to trust. Similarly, brands are perceived in the same manner. They build trust by creating positive interactions and encounters over time.

In his book "Brand Seduction - How Neuroscience Can Help Marketers Build Memorable Brands," Daryl Weber explains how our unconscious mind continuously learns and evaluates the environment, picking up on subtle cues from brands, often without our conscious awareness. Thus, every interaction and encounter a consumer has with a brand is part of a trust-building process. Every customer service communication, press mention, and brand sighting -including other brands or people the brand is seen with - combine to create a perception of the brand in the consumer's mind. Over time, these elements accumulate to establish a sense of trustworthiness or lack thereof for the brand.

It is crucial to understand the significance of these subtle cues and how they impact the perception of the brand in the consumer's mind. Each positive interaction adds value to the brand, and each negative one takes away from it. Therefore, it is important to be consistent in delivering a positive brand experience to build trust and loyalty among customers.

Branding plays a crucial role in creating a perception of trustworthiness for a brand. Every interaction and encounter with the brand adds to the overall perception in the consumer's mind. As a marketer, it is essential to ensure that every touchpoint delivers a positive brand experience, to establish a strong and trustworthy brand image.

Familiarity can Breed Trust

Familiarity breeds trust - this is not just a common saying, but a well-established psychological principle known as the mere-exposure effect (MEE). The idea behind this effect is that people tend to prefer things they are familiar with. From an evolutionary standpoint, this makes perfect sense. If we have encountered something before, and it has not caused us harm, it must be safe. On the other hand, if something has harmed us in the past, greater familiarity will only result in increased dislike.

Recent research on visual attention has supported the influence of MEE in building trust. In a study, participants were more likely to perceive faces as trustworthy if they had been presented in previous trials compared to unfamiliar faces. Importantly, this effect was not due to participants recalling which faces they had seen before.

This is precisely why mass brands like Coca-Cola enjoy a high level of trust. Merely by being present in our lives - in ads, on the shelf, and being consumed by people around us - we have grown familiar with them. And this familiarity leads to an inherent sense of trust in the brand. In contrast, new or unknown brands or private label brands that we are unfamiliar with are less likely to gain our trust.

As a marketer, it is essential to understand the power of MEE and leverage it to build trust in your brand. By consistently exposing your brand to your target audience through various touchpoints, you can create a sense of familiarity that leads to trust. This can be achieved through strategic advertising, collaborations with influencers, and other marketing techniques.

The mere-exposure effect is a powerful psychological principle that can help marketers build trust in their brand. By leveraging the familiarity principle, you can create a sense of trust and loyalty among your target audience. So, make sure to consistently expose your brand to your audience to create a strong and trustworthy brand image.

Show that You're Part of the Same In-Group

As social beings, we have a natural inclination to trust people who are like us. We form tribes, develop strong bonds with those in our tribe (in-groups), and often hold negative opinions of those outside of it (out-groups). Even in studies where groups are randomly assigned, this tendency to prefer those in our group is consistently observed.

Moreover, brain imaging studies have shown that there are neurological differences in how we perceive in-groups and out-groups. For example, even under circumstances where differentiation is minimal, the medial prefrontal cortex (MPFC) activity is observed to increase when participants identify themselves as part of the in-group. This highlights the role of the MPFC in social categorization, whether it is for existing groups or newly formed ones.

Brands can utilize this concept by taking a stance on issues that may potentially divide their audience, such as political topics or even supporting a local sports team. By taking a side, they show themselves as part of the in-group with those who agree, thereby earning their trust and goodwill.

This approach has been successfully employed by brands that have publicly supported a particular cause or taken a stance on a social issue. By showing their support for a particular group or cause, they demonstrate that they are part of the same in-group, thereby earning the trust and loyalty of those who share similar views.

Understanding the psychology of in-groups and out-groups can be crucial to building trust and loyalty among your target audience. By showcasing your alignment with their values and beliefs, you can foster a sense of community and belonging, which ultimately leads to greater trust and loyalty.

By showing that you are part of the same in-group as your target audience, you can build trust and loyalty that will help your brand thrive. By aligning your brand with their values and beliefs, you can foster a sense of community and belonging, leading to a stronger bond with your audience.

It's More about What You Do than What You Say

In today's world, trust is hard to come by, and it's not something that can be achieved by just telling people to trust you. You must prove it through your actions, especially in the world of business and marketing. Consumers are becoming increasingly skeptical of empty promises and flashy advertising, and they want to see tangible results. This is why it's crucial for brands to follow through on their promises and provide a positive experience for their customers.

Think about it, if a salesperson keeps telling you to trust them without demonstrating why, you'll probably become more hesitant to believe them. Instead, trust is built over time through consistent actions that show you have the best interest of the customer in mind. This includes providing helpful recommendations and avoiding the urge to push them towards more expensive products.

The same principle applies to marketing a brand. A flashy ad or a catchy slogan may catch someone's attention, but if the brand doesn't follow through on its promises, it'll backfire in the long run. Consumers want authenticity and reliability, and they want to see that a brand's actions align with their words. In today's media landscape, where there's an overload of information, words are becoming cheaper and cheaper. The only way to truly stand out and build meaningful trust is through your actions.

Building trust requires more than just telling people to trust you. It's about demonstrating it through your actions, providing a positive experience for your customers, and following through on your promises. In the end, actions speak louder than words.

Keep up your end of the bargain

Trust is the foundation of any successful relationship, whether it's between individuals or between brands and consumers. And just like in any relationship, it's crucial to keep up your end of the bargain. As a brand, you make a promise to your consumers, and it's up to you to deliver on that promise in order to build and maintain trust.

Overpromising and underdelivering is a surefire way to lose the trust of your customers. Consumers are savvy and can easily see through empty promises and marketing gimmicks. If you want to build meaningful trust, you need to make sure that your actions match your words.

And it's not enough to just build trust - you have to work to maintain it as well. A brand can take years to build up a strong reputation, but it can all be lost in an instant with a single misstep. Look at the examples of Volkswagen, Nike, and Apple - all of these brands faced serious controversies that put their trustworthiness into question. While they were able to recover, smaller brands may not be so lucky.

So if you want to build and maintain trust with your consumers, it's important to keep your promises, deliver on your commitments, and always act with integrity. Remember, trust is a two-way street, and it's up to you to do your part to earn and keep it.

Authenticity is key when it comes to building trust for your brand. It's not something that can be faked or manufactured - it must come from within. This means cultivating a corporate culture that values fairness, respect, and honesty. When these values are ingrained in your company, it will show in the way you interact with customers and conduct your business.

Consumers are savvy and can easily detect inauthenticity. If you're not sincere in your efforts to build trust, customers will see right through it. That's why it's crucial to take the right actions consistently over time. By delivering on your promises, treating customers with respect, and maintaining transparency in your business practices, you can build trust that will last.

Remember, trust is incredibly valuable and should not be taken lightly. It's something that can take years to build but can be lost in an instant. So once you've earned the trust of your customers, guard it with your life. The future of your brand depends on it.

Trust is the foundation of any successful brand-customer relationship. By understanding the key factors that contribute to trust - such as reliability, familiarity, and authenticity - you can take steps to build and maintain trust with your customers. By doing so, you'll create a loyal customer base that will support your brand for years to come.

Final conclusions

In conclusion, building trust is the foundation for any successful relationship, whether it's between individuals or between a brand and its customers. By understanding how the human brain works and utilizing insights from neuroscience, we can create authentic connections and foster long-lasting trust with our customers.

Remember, trust is not something that can be easily gained, but it can be easily lost. It requires consistent action, authenticity, and integrity. However, the reward for building trust is priceless - loyal customers who will not only continue to purchase from your brand but also spread positive word-of-mouth to their own networks.

So, if you want to take your brand to the next level, focus on building trust with your customers. Invest in the relationship, provide value, keep your promises, and always be authentic. With time and effort, you can create a powerful and lasting bond that will drive your brand's success for years to come.