Brand Trust: Examples of Success and Failure in Delivering on Promises

Building on Brand Trust at a Glance:

Trust is built by reliably delivering the brand promise at every touchpoint. Companies that do so win greater loyalty and long-term customer relationships, but how can they set and achieve expectations for consumers so they remain trustworthy? 

• Follow through: Focus on consistent action aligned to brand promise and values
• Communicate with compassion: Engage consumers openly and authentically
• Track perception data: Monitor metrics of trust and feedback
• Be honest: Foster transparency for long-term brand health

Why Brand Trust Matters in Today’s Marketplace

A crucial factor in today’s marketplace, brand trust is consumers’ confidence in a brand’s reliability, integrity, and ability to deliver on its promises. It’s the amount of respect and loyalty customers have for a brand; without that, you won’t have much success. Add to that, consumers expect brands to do good and be good. You can have the best product in the world, but without brand trust and a positive corporate culture to back it up, your brand can only go so far.

In an era where customers are inundated with choices, trust has become a key differentiator for brands looking for long-term loyalty and success. A trusted brand fosters stronger customer relationships and drives repeat business and positive word-of-mouth marketing – one of the most powerful types of marketing – amplifying its reputation. As consumers increasingly prioritize authenticity, transparency, and ethical practices, building and maintaining brand trust is essential for staying competitive and relevant, especially in a rapidly evolving market.  

Bad Examples of Brand Trust: When Brands Fail to Deliver

When you think of customer distrust in business, you typically think about brands that fail to be there for their customers, slow wait times, poor customer service, or when the brand’s reputation goes south due to a crisis or PR disaster. When brands fail to deliver on their promises, the consequences can be extreme, resulting in a major loss of trust, negative publicity, and customer fallout. Consumer trust in businesses tanks. 

One example is Samsung’s Galaxy Note 7 crisis, where overheating and exploding phones led to product recalls that tarnished the company’s reputation for reliability. While Samsung acted quickly, the incident caused lasting damage to consumer confidence and highlighted the importance of quality control in maintaining trust. Similarly, the Wells Fargo cross-selling scandal involving the creation of millions of fake savings and checking accounts destroyed the trust of customers who felt exploited by a company meant to safeguard their finances. The fallout included billions of dollars in fines, executive resignations, and a lasting stain on the bank’s credibility. 

Other brands have suffered from consistently poor customer experiences. Comcast has long been criticized for subpar customer service, with customers reporting long wait times, unresolved issues, and unmet promises. This reputation for unreliability has driven many customers to jump ship and move on to competitors. Similarly, UnitedHealthcare has faced backlash for high costs and frequent claim denials, leaving members frustrated and alone during critical moments. 

These examples show that when brands fail to prioritize their customers’ needs and expectations, they risk immediate fallout and long-term damage to their reputation and loyalty base.

Good Examples of Brand Trust: Brands That Get It Right

Conversely, when you think of trusted brands and companies, you think of those that provide exceptional customer experiences by delivering on their promises and consistently demonstrating reliability, innovation, and a customer-first approach – setting the standard for their industries. 

Apple is a prime example, with the Apple brand promise of reliable innovation and seamless user experiences. Apple consistently meets its customers ‘ high expectations, from cutting-edge product design to exceptional customer support through the Genius Bar with its hands-on support and guidance. By proactively addressing customers’ needs and maintaining a high standard of quality, Apple has created an incredibly loyal following and has positioned itself as a global leader in technology.

Similarly, Amazon’s promise to prioritize customers is evident in its personalized shopping experiences, fast delivery, and hassle-free returns. By leveraging data to anticipate customer preferences and streamlining its services, Amazon demonstrates a commitment to making life easier for its users. 

Google also exemplifies trustworthiness through the Google brand promise of providing consistent and dependable tools like Search and Maps. These services are intuitive, reliable, and indispensable, showing Google’s dedication to simplifying everyday tasks. These brands succeed because they prioritize customer satisfaction and actively work to meet and exceed expectations, building trust and loyalty on a global scale.

How to Build Brand Trust: Key Strategies for Success

Understanding how to build brand trust is crucial for businesses looking to foster long-term customer loyalty. When brands focus on customers’ wants and needs—even before they know what they want and need—they win on brand trust, which also promotes brand advocacy. 

Let’s go back to Amazon and Apple. They’re known for surprising and delighting their customers with new products and services while supporting those efforts with human interaction when needed. They’re authentic in their customer interactions during every step of the customer journey. So, how do brands like that build brand trust? Here are some strategies.

• Focus on product reliability: Ensure that products consistently deliver on their promises. Consumers place trust in brands that provide high-quality, dependable solutions, and meeting those expectations builds credibility. For example, rigorous testing and quality control processes help avoid issues that could undermine confidence, such as faulty products (like the Samsung Galaxy Note 7) or unmet claims. A reliable product forms the foundation of trust, signaling to customers that the brand values their experience.

• Offer exceptional customer experiences: It’s important for companies to go above and beyond with customer experience, especially through human support when things go wrong. Customers are more likely to trust brands that prioritize their needs by offering quick, empathetic resolutions to problems.

• Provide transparent communication: Proactively sharing updates, being clear about changes, and owning up to mistakes when they happen demonstrate honesty and accountability. Transparency builds trust and strengthens customer relationships by showing that the brand is willing to act in their best interest.

Delivering on Brand Promise: Turning Trust into Advocacy

The key to turning trust into brand advocacy is delivering on brand promise, which creates trust, loyalty, and satisfaction – a personal connection. When brands consistently meet or exceed expectations, customers don’t just remain loyal, they actively promote the brand to others – back to the coveted word-of-mouth marketing. It’s important to remember the other side of the story. When brands fail to meet expectations, customers are quick to lash out and share their negative experiences with others, potentially driving business away. That’s why actively working to build brand trust is crucial.

The Role of Customer Experience in Building Brand Trust

Each year, the Qualtrics XM Institute conducts an annual U.S. consumer benchmark study, rating consumer trust across 22 industries. The study surveys 10,000 consumers across more than 350 brands.

Unsurprisingly, some of the lowest-ranking industries include TV and internet service providers and social media companies. Some of the highest industries were grocery stores, investment firms and financial institutions.

Personalized and high-quality customer experience helps to set the stage for whether or not a company will be seen as trustworthy in the eyes of the consumer. The industries that excel in trust rankings are known for creating carefully curated, individualized experiences that make customers feel valued, ultimately strengthening their loyalty and connection to the brand.

When brands tailor their interactions to meet individual needs and preferences, they show that they care, are attentive to the customers’ needs, and have a genuine commitment to serving those customers. They make the customer feel as if they truly matter. Responsiveness further enhances brand trust, making the customer feel like they’re being heard and not ignored. This level of engagement creates a sense of connection and satisfaction, encouraging customers to return and recommend the brand to others. Over time, these consistent, meaningful interactions strengthen loyalty and position the brand as a trusted partner.

Final Thoughts: The Path to Building Brand Trust

When it comes to long-term success, building brand trust is more important than ever in today’s marketplace. With so many choices and misinformation, brands must earn trust through consistent product reliability, exceptional customer experiences, and transparent communication. When brands deliver on their promises, they do more than meet expectations, they exceed them. This helps turn customers into loyal brand advocates who share their positive experiences through word-of-mouth marketing. On the other side of the coin, failures in reliability, service, or transparency can lead to negative consequences, disrupting trust and driving customers away.

In the end, brands that put authenticity, responsiveness, and a customer-centric approach first are the ones that succeed. They also know that trust is gained slowly through every touchpoint, product launch, and customer service interaction. By staying true to their promises and proactively adapting to customers’ changing needs, businesses can develop deeper connections, build lasting loyalty, and inspire the kind of advocacy that drives growth while setting them up as an industry leader.

Want to learn more about building brand trust for your bank or credit union? Let’s chat!

Adrenaline is an end-to-end brand experience company serving the financial industry. We move brands and businesses ahead by delivering on every aspect of their experience across digital and physical channels, from strategy through implementation. Our multi-disciplinary team works with leadership to advise on purpose, position, culture, and retail growth strategies. We create brands people love and engage audiences from employees to customers with story-led design and insights-driven marketing; and we design and build transformative brand experiences across branch networks, leading the construction and implementation of physical spaces that drive business advantage and make the brand experience real.