This post was created in partnership with Chase Media Solutions
Key takeaways
Table of Contents
- Building brand trust starts inside with a consistent mission and company culture.
- Rebuilding trust after a misstep is the ultimate test of a brand.
- Brands must build direct relationships to navigate AI disruption.
Trust has become the most valuable currency a brand can hold. Consumers are in control, and they are granting their loyalty to companies that prove their reliability, transparency, and commitment to doing the right thing.
During an ADWEEK House Advertising HQ Group Chat, co-hosted with Chase Media Solutions, a panel of marketing leaders explored the modern architecture of trust—how to build it from the inside out, defend it against modern threats, and evolve it for the future.
Earning trust through consistency and action
The conversation began with the high stakes of institutional trust. Lauren Griewski, managing director, head of sales and partnerships at Chase Media Solutions, framed the challenge. “Warren Buffett says it best: It takes 20 years to build a reputation and five minutes to break it,” she shared. “And so, at Chase, trust is something that we hold as a very valuable asset that we then pass on to our merchant and brand partners.”
This principle of trust as a long-term, fragile asset was echoed by Tusar Barik, SVP of marketing at New York Times Advertising, “As I think about trust, it’s consistency over time. It takes time,” he said.
But consistency without a moral compass is meaningless.
That’s why, according to Eliot Hamlisch, chief commercial officer at Amtrak, it must be anchored to a core mission. “At Amtrak, we’ve got three pillars, one of which is doing the right thing,” he explained. “If that sits at the core of your offering, it goes a really long way.”