Three Steps CMOs Can Take to Boost Brand Trust in Customers, Finds Gartner

Chief marketing officers (CMOs) must focus on building trust as 57% of consumers reported they lacked trust in U.S. brands.
In the midst of dire loss of trust, marketing leaders hope to differentiate themselves by improving brand trust.
The challenge, however, is customers’ expectations of brands are higher than it’s ever been with 74% of customers having higher expectations from brands today.

Chief marketing officers (CMOs) must focus on building trust as 57% of consumers reported they lacked trust in U.S. brands, according to a recent survey by Gartner, Inc.

“In the midst of dire loss of trust, marketing leaders hope to differentiate themselves by improving brand trust,” said Carlos Guerrero, senior advisor in the Gartner Marketing practice. “This is challenging, however, as customers’ expectations of brands are higher than it’s ever been. In fact, 74% of customers have higher expectations from brands today. Those expectations are not limited to product performance or durability, but also in terms of how brands treat their customers, their employees and the environment.”

During his session today at the Gartner Marketing Symposium/Xpo, taking place virtually in the Americas December 1-3, 2020, Mr. Guerrero said that to achieve increased customer trust, brands focus on conveying authenticity and warmth, but Gartner research indicates that the strongest driver of trust is dependability.

“Dependability is a customer’s belief that a brand will in fact deliver on all promised value and will consistently make the choice to do so, even when a financial or accountability incentive is lacking,” said Mr. Guerrero.

Marketers can demonstrate dependability in three of the following ways:

Remove Trust-Eroding Pain Points

Customer pain is an obvious source of customer dissatisfaction and removing that pain can build trust. To do this, CMOs should identify and prioritize any incidents that hinder the ability to follow through on core brand promises made to customers. This will help organizations efficiently allocate resources and align internal stakeholders around the operational next steps needed to improve trust-building initiatives.

Highlight Current Value

Once trust-eroding pain points in the customer experience have been addressed, CMOs must work to amplify their dependability by highlighting the current value their brand is already providing. Doing so will reassure customers that they made the right decision.

"The value a brand provides may go unnoticed or underappreciated if the marketing function doesn’t broadcast it to customers,” said Guerrero. “Marketers must highlight current successful delivery of value to customers using examples in marketing content, increasing visibility and boosting confidence in value exchange.”

Provide New Value in Key Customer Moments

Progressive CMOs who have addressed trust-eroding pain points and are already highlighting current value can extend their value proposition by providing new value during moments of heightened emotion or attention, of uncertainty, or when alternatives may be considered. In doing so, brands bolster their perceived dependability through demonstration of a wider-than-expected capability set.

To read further, please visit www.Gartner.com.