For 20 years the fight for consumer attention has spiraled out of control, with consumers facing more choice than ever and the growth of technology ensuring their attention spans are getting shorter all the time. Brands have all too often responded to this by inflating their promises, exaggerating the impact their product will have on their customers' lives, or adding on an empty promise related to purpose, sustainability or some other form of CSR-washing.
However, a commitment to building brand credibility with the public should sit at the heart of any business’s mission. No matter how good the product, most brands will only go so far for so long without it. (We can all think of mega brands that are doing just fine with questionable values, but that’s a can of worms I won’t attempt to open here!)
And those who think they’re getting away with it in the eyes of the consumer will be disappointed by what I’m about to impart. Our team recently commissioned YouGov to conduct a survey of 2000 UK adults to find out just how important credibility is to them when it comes to brand communications and behaviour and how it impacts buying power and perception.
76% of Brits say brand credibility dictates buying decisions
The results didn’t surprise us - because we live and breathe brand credibility - but have certainly proved something of an eye opener to people we’ve shared them with. Incredibly, 76% of Brits say brand credibility dictates buying decisions, while 43% have stopped buying from a brand due to a loss of credibility. For 22% of people a brand’s credibility is an absolute deal-breaker.
In the battle for attention it can feel as if making a more hyperbolic promise, or getting ever more worthy, will do the trick - but ultimately you're just increasing customer expectation. And that’s a great strategy IF those expectations are delivered upon. But, given 38% of respondents think brands are not credible, that isn’t the case.
Modern consumers are more sceptical, informed, and less forgiving than ever before. That’s never been more true than for Gen Z (18-24s), a third of whom told us they refuse to buy from or engage with a brand that lacks credibility. And given how vocal these guys are on social media, that is not a cohort you want to turn against you.
65% of consumers say keeping promises is the number one driver of brand credibility
So how do you stay credible? 65% of consumers say keeping promises is the number one driver of brand credibility, showing how seriously people take the things you say and stand for, while 53% want to see a great customer experience, proof that the way you engage with customers matters just as much, and 37% want to see honest, authentic storytelling.
In short, every touchpoint is a trust-building moment - or a credibility risk. Ultimately, credibility isn’t built in a single place, but it can be lost in a single moment.
And if you want to see how it’s done, the research suggests high end brands may be the ones to watch. Remember that 38% who think that brands are not credible? Well, nearly a quarter of those earning over £100,000 disagree, saying they see brands as “very credible” - almost four times the national average - which tells us the premium brands they buy into do deliver for them.
But credibility doesn’t have to be a luxury. Mass market brands can earn it too, by going beyond the basics. Be the brand that adds value to the everyday, turns the mundane into a moment, and makes life feel just that little bit easier.
By Tom Primrose, Strategy Director at Nonsense
