From Skepticism to Loyalty: How to Build Trust in Your Brand

The data is in, and we are in a trust recession.  

According to Edelman’s Trust Barometer 2025 report, 60% of people have a high sense of grievance and believe that business institutions are not trust-worthy and do not benefit their personal interests. This widespread grievance is eroding trust when it comes to a multitude of sectors such as media, government, and more (source).

A growing responsibility has been placed on businesses to prioritize trust and connection with their customers. With the fear of discrimination, pessimistic future outlooks, and distrust of authenticity on the rise, knowing how to attract and keep your customers loyal and optimistic about your brand is important.

In this blog post, we will share four data-backed best-practices that help new business owners establish themselves as trust leaders...

To start, I’d like to invite you to think of the person you trust the most in your life. What qualities does this person possess? How does your relationship with this person make you feel? When did you realize this person was trustworthy? What did that moment mean to you?

Whoever you’re thinking of right now likely possesses traits such as dependability, honesty, and integrity, with values that align closely with your own ethics and beliefs.

Now, think of your favorite Brand. The one you continue to support. The one you tell your friends and family members about. The one that you are loyal to, despite the growing number of similar brands that advertise to you. What is it about this particular brand that pulls you back? What is it about this brand that you trust?

Trust is a deeply human emotion that can be given and taken away from countless entities such as people, animals, ideas, opinions, institutions, and businesses. It is the foundation and gateway for growth in any relationship, whether with another person or a concept. Growing it is crucial in business and losing it is damaging

To further understand how eroded trust damages business outcomes, let’s revisit two scandals from our past…

• The Facebook / Meta Cambridge Analytica data scandal in 2018 -  Facebook faced a massive public backlash when it was revealed that political consulting firm Cambridge Analytica had harvested data from millions of users without their knowledge, shattering trust in how the platform protects privacy. This resulted in legal, reputation, and financial damages. 

• H&M tone-deaf scandal in 2018 - H&M also faced problems with consumer trust due to the 2018 hoodie controversy. They published a creative that featured a black child wearing a racially offensive and tone-deaf hoodie. This resulted in public protests, reputation damages, and store closures. 

According to Vogue Business, 88% of customers say not trusting a brand is a dealbreaker when deciding to buy from them. Trust is the greatest currency a business can have with its consumers. Once trust is broken, it’s hard to rebuild. Here are four ways to build a brand that people trust...

1. Prioritize Data Privacy & Transparency:

• Be clear about what data you collect, why, and how it’s used

• Have an easily accessible privacy policy page available on your website for review

• Use easy-to-understand consent flows

• Adhere to data regulations (e.g., GDPR, CCPA) and regularly update privacy practices

2. Deliver a consistent & responsive customer experience

• Set SLA’s (Service level agreement’s) and/or refund policies

• Ensure every interaction is consistent and empathetic

• Establish feedback loops that help teams address feedback promptly 

3. Deliver an ethically and culturally inclusive customer experience

• Build Inclusive, Representative Messaging

• Audit content for racial and cultural sensitivity before publishing

• Train teams to recognize bias and blind spots in material 

• Limit the use of AI in content creation

  
  

4. Engage Authentically Through Social & Community

• Practice social listening to understand and respond to audience sentiment.

• Prioritize authentic platform tailored posts over promotional posts

• Ask for customer feedback, spark conversations, and showcase real reviews

• Do not buy likes or followers - real engagement matters

At Peeples & Co., we help teams create and launch unbiased social content and culturally sensitive learning programs for both consumers and employees. Whether you’re creating an inclusive training program for your content team or need expert support with content production, we bring over 10 years of experience in inclusive and anti-bias curriculum design and 8 years in client retention strategy. Our hybrid approach empowers individuals, brands, and organizations to stay ahead of the learning curve and proactively build trust with their audiences.

Let’s grow trust in your business—start your inquiry today.

-Written by Keara Peeples on August 13th, 2025