By Karla Jo Helms, Chief Evangelist and Anti-PR™ Strategist for JOTO PR Disruptors™.
88% of consumers now say trust is just as important in buying decisions as price and quality. Think about that for a moment. Trust isn’t just some emotional afterthought or goodwill product of a long-standing customer relationship. It has fundamentally shifted into a key competitive battleground and deciding factor at the point of purchase.
Yet most brands are failing miserably at passing the trust test. According to the Havas Meaningful Brands global report, 74% of brands could disappear overnight, and most consumers wouldn’t even notice or care. This staggering failure to remain relevant isn’t about product quality or marketing budgets. It’s about a deeper issue that has gripped the marketplace like never before.
Trust, or the lack of it, is one of the most critical indicators of modern brand survival. Brands are no longer judged solely on what they sell but on their values, transparency, and cultural alignment. And here’s the brutal truth about ignoring this shift: silence isn’t neutral anymore. More than half of consumers assume brands that steer clear of key cultural conversations are indifferent at best or hiding something at worst.
If your brand isn’t actively building trust, it’s already losing in today’s trust economy. It’s time to evolve.
Shifting the Paradigm: The Strategic Opportunity
Building trust with your audience isn’t a guessing game, nor does it happen passively. The brands that are thriving in this landscape are doing so with intention. They’ve adopted a trust-first strategy grounded in transparency, cultural fluency, and bold narrative control. These disruptors understand that the dialogue around trust is far more than PR fluff. It’s their most valuable currency.
Consumers aren’t passive buyers anymore; they’ve become agents of change. They’re holding brands accountable like never before, expecting not just silent compliance but active participation. This expectation has created a three-pillar foundation of trust that savvy brands have turned into their North Star for growth.
- Consistency: Buyers must see that your promises align with your actions. Trust falters when brands appear unpredictable or erratic.
- Transparency: Consumers crave clarity on how you operate, what you stand for, and how you’re contributing to the larger societal narrative. Glossy ads are out; clear, open communication is in.
- Loyalty Amplified: Beyond offering good products, brands must foster a sense of belonging and mutual respect. Trust isn’t just bought; it’s reciprocated.
By leaning into these pillars, businesses are solving the “trust deficit” and reclaiming lost market share.
Tactics for Trust-First Leadership
What differentiates today’s frontrunners? A keen understanding that trust is multidimensional and built deliberately through earned media, authentic engagement, and unscripted connections. Here are the actionable Anti-PR™ strategies to stay ahead.
- Earned Media Dominance: Forget polished, ad-backed messaging for a moment. Earned media is trusted by 92% of consumers globally, outranking any paid content channels. The brands thriving in trust-heavy markets are investing in real visibility through trusted third-party platforms like podcasts, analyst mentions, and obsessively sourced user reviews. The moral of the story? Get the media talking about you, not just your campaigns.
- Narrative Ownership: Stop chasing headlines and start creating them. Brands leading the pack aren’t waiting for trending topics to ride the coattails. They’re reshaping the dialogue entirely, delivering high-value, earned-media-worthy content that positions themselves at the forefront of industry innovation while defying expectations.
- Transparency Through Strategic Communication: Running a company isn’t about broadcasting perfection. Consumers might forgive honest, authentic mistakes—but they won’t tolerate silence. Show your work. Whether through behind-the-scenes content or unscripted CEO commentary, the brands making strides are showing audiences their process, not just their polished end result.
The Future of Trust as Currency
The reality is stark for businesses that only pay lip service to trust. They might skate by for a while in passive markets, but the modern consumer isn’t waiting idly anymore. Recent surveys show that 93% of executives agree on trust’s pivotal role in business—but fewer brands are actively working to earn it than those operating under false security.
Being culturally silent is a business risk, plain and simple. But leaning into values like transparency, authenticity, and alignment with cultural trends carries measurable rewards. Take one stat as proof of this payoff: 87% of buyers say they will pay more for trusted brands.
The roadmap ahead involves bold company cultures that push past outdated reputations of “neutral PR” or self-serving headlines. Leading with value—not volume—is how you build resilience and a future-proof reputation in your sector.
For brands willing to make a pivot? The time to lock in market share through trust-first tactics has never been better. And those that delay? Well, they’ll be the ones we watch quietly disappear.
Today, it’s time to own the narrative and lead from trust. Don’t just react to the market; shape it. After all, the brands that thrive today know one undeniable truth about trust: it’s no longer earned in the background. It’s the star of the show.
About Karla Jo Helms
Karla Jo Helms is the Chief Evangelist and Anti-PR™ Strategist for JOTO PR Disruptors™. Karla Jo learned firsthand how unforgiving business can be when millions of dollars are on the line—and how the control of public opinion often determines whether one company is happily chosen, or another is brutally rejected. Being an alumnus of crisis management, Karla Jo has worked with litigation attorneys, private investigators, and the media to help restore companies of goodwill back into the good graces of public opinion—Karla Jo operates on the ethic of getting it right the first time, not relying on second chances and doing what it takes to excel. Karla Jo has patterned her agency on the perfect balance of crisis management, entrepreneurial insight, and proven public relations experience. Helms speaks globally on public relations, how the PR industry itself has lost its way and how, in the right hands, corporations can harness the power of Anti-PR to drive markets and impact market perception. More information is available at www.jotopr.com/.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karlajohelms/https://www.linkedin.com/in/karlajohelms/
