Trust: The foundation of successful customer relationships

“With the urgent drive for brands to elevate their digital experiences, one recurring theme persists – trust.” – Adobe  

In an era characterised by rapid technological advancements and the digitisation of virtually every aspect of our lives, trust has emerged – or one could say re-emerged - as the cornerstone of successful interactions between businesses and consumers. 

Companies can gather, analyse, and activate consumer data like never before – presenting brands with an unprecedented opportunity to deliver personalised experiences across touchpoints. However, as ordinary consumers also become increasingly aware of the value of their data, the demand for trustworthiness has never been more apparent, and brands have no choice but to adapt. 

A standard that must be met 

In this dynamic and interconnected digital world, the concept of trust is evolving rapidly - encapsulating transparency, security, and ethical responsibility. Customers are no longer satisfied with faceless entities collecting their data with impunity. Instead, they expect brands to offer transparent and robust methods of data collection, storage, and management. If an organisation fails to meet these standards, the impact can be severe: with 67% of consumers saying they would stop purchasing from a brand that disrespects their data preferences, experiences a data breach, or mishandles their data. At this point, companies simply cannot risk adopting an approach to data that doesn’t put trust at its core. 

Given these new standards, it’s little wonder that a recent Adobe survey found 2/3 of EMEA marketing leaders are finding it harder to build trust than they were just two years ago. But the advance of consumer expectations doesn’t stop there. Users are now acutely aware of the wealth of information they’re providing to brands and expect something in return. Namely, improved digital experiences, fuelled by the data they’re volunteering. 

For example, around 70% of consumers agreed that their trust in a brand falls “when personalisation is poor”, yet >65% of online customers still feel the personalisation they receive is “superficial” at best. Advances in analytics, CDP, and optimisation technologies – like Adobe’s CJA, RT-CDP, and Target – lay the foundation for truly bespoke experiences, but only 5% of marketers claim to be personalising “extensively”.

A genuine opportunity 

The growing demand for trust undoubtedly presents a challenge to organisations and their marketing functions but, as the digital economy continues to expand rapidly, it also presents an enormous opportunity. 62% of consumers say well-timed, personalised content “significantly” boosts their trust in a given brand. So, as trust becomes a ‘must have’ for consumers, the brands which can overcome the technical obstacles associated with delivering optimised digital experiences will unlock huge benefits – gaining a competitive advantage, finding new customers, and enjoying the benefits associated with brand loyalty, such as word-of-mouth advocacy and increased LTVs. 

The ethical and experiential arguments for a digital ecosystem built on trust are clear. As forward-thinking brands are beginning to realise, the business case for prioritising trust is equally strong.