How brands can navigate institutional distrust

Do this now: Check your 2026 communications, brand, and marketing plans to ensure you have explicitly incorporated how to build and maintain TRUST with internal and external audiences. ...Not as a value statement. ...Not as a tagline. ...Not as a campaign. But as a deliberate, measurable business priority. Because in a world shaped by division, economic and market disruption, AI-generated noise, misinformation, and disinformation from bad actors, trust is no longer a soft metric or a brand aspiration. It is an essential reputation driver, an engagement accelerator, and a loyalty builder. When trust is absent, everything gets harder. 👉 Employees disengage, hesitate, or leave. 👉 Customers delay decisions or choose safer alternatives. 👉 Partners and vendors protect themselves instead of collaborating. 👉 Media and analysts scrutinize with skepticism. 👉 Investors discount narratives they don’t fully believe. Here's the thing: Trust doesn’t come from what organizations say about themselves. It comes from behaviors that deliver on promises and what others say about your brand. So, look at your plans now and make sure you have intentional initiatives outlined to earn and nurture trust with: ✨ employees ✨ partners ✨ investors ✨ customers ✨ media ✨ analysts Then, think about how your organization can engender and enhance trust through: ✅ Credible third-party validation ✅ Consistent, observable brand behavior ✅ Clear, human executive voices ✅ Transparency during moments of change ✅ Powerful and authentic proof points It's core and it's critical. Because trust is not about optics. It's about outcomes. It's not soft. It's strategic. It shouldn't be incidental. It should be intentional. In 2026, trust is no longer optional. It's operational and foundational to business success. (Photo shows Bad Bunny's trust fall at the Super Bowl 2026 halftime performance showing the power of trust in action.)

Last year, Apple apologized for an iPad ad. Last month, Gwyneth Paltrow and Astronomer split the internet—half called it brilliant, half called it tone deaf. This month, American Eagle’s Sydney Sweeney campaign became a culture war flashpoint. Marketing used to have rules. Now it has landmines. If this were only about brand misfires, the fix would be simple: smarter strategies, sharper creative. But something deeper has shifted. The contract between brands and culture has changed. And the playbook that promised predictability no longer applies. For decades, the system was straightforward: craft the message, test it with target demos, launch with confidence. There's a new world. → Apple’s “Crush” ad: world-class production, pulled in days. → American Eagle: pitched as empowerment, read as male gaze. → Cracker Barrel: tried to modernize, alienated its loyalists. Today, audiences are the micro-editors. Every move is dissected in real time. The safe bets? They vanish. The formulas? They fail. But the answer isn’t chasing controversy. It’s learning to move with culture, not control it. The strongest brands don’t retreat to beige castles. They understand brands are vessels of meaning. They see this moment not as chaos, but as an opportunity. An opportunity to broaden the lens. To bring in diverse perspectives. To read the cultural currents before stepping into them. The lesson isn’t “outrage sells.” The lesson is this: culture is complex, fast-moving, and discerning. To matter, your brand must be fluent enough to land the right way—not just to be heard, but to be understood. Because the greatest risk to your brand isn’t silence. It’s being heard for all the wrong reasons. The real danger cuts both ways: Irrelevance leaves you invisible. Misunderstanding leaves you exposed. The strongest brands navigate both.

💥 Are businesses that only focus on shareholders doomed to fail? 💥 With growing pressure from society, can companies afford to ignore the demands of their stakeholders and still survive? Gillian Tett in Financial Times just made a compelling case for why the answer is no: 💡 Attacks on #ESG have escalated, but the pushback is just as strong.   In Texas, a lawsuit against anti-ESG policies is challenging the state's blacklisting of companies focused on sustainability. This fight goes beyond environmental strategies—it’s about free speech and the right to operate in line with core values. ⚖️ 📈 Business Roundtable stands firm on stakeholderism. Despite pressure to return to the shareholder-first model, major corporate groups like the Business Roundtable are doubling down on the need to invest in workers, communities, and the environment alongside profits. Companies "can and must" balance purpose with profit. 💼💪 🌍 Right-wing critics are redefining stakeholderism, not rejecting it. Instead of rejecting social responsibility outright, ESG critics want to replace progressive values like diversity and clean energy with more traditional causes, such as family values and fossil fuels. This shows the debate isn’t about if companies should serve society, but how they should do it. 🔄 📊 Public trust in business is higher than in government. With only 40% of Americans trusting government, but 53% trusting business, the expectations on corporations are rising. Consumers want brands to take positions on social issues, with 75% willing to switch companies if their values don’t align. 🤝🌱 🌱 Ignoring stakeholders is a risk. The biggest shocks to business—whether pandemics, political strife, or climate crises—are no longer just financial. Failing to recognize stakeholders in this environment isn’t just short-sighted; it’s dangerous. 🚨 The message is unmistakable: businesses that fail to build meaningful relationships with stakeholders are setting themselves up for long-term risks. 🌟 Here are three key pieces of advice to navigate this shift: 1️⃣ Build the capability to understand conflicting stakeholder demands. Companies must develop the capacity to map and balance the often conflicting needs of stakeholders, ensuring that these diverse expectations are integrated into decision-making. 🔍🎯 2️⃣ Leverage innovation to resolve trade-offs. Stakeholder conflicts can fuel innovation. Use these tensions as opportunities to create solutions that benefit both social impact and profitability. 🚀⚖️ 3️⃣ View stakeholder relationships as long-term assets. Stakeholder interactions aren’t transactional—they’re relationships built on trust that evolve into intangible assets, providing long-term value to the business. 🤝💼 #StakeholderCapitalism #ESGInnovation #Sustainability #CorporateStrategy

The Call Every Holding Company Should Fear This month, two unexpected conversations landed on my calendar: → A major global brand that switched HoldCos in 2025 → An institutional investor with a significant Holdco position When brands and investors worry about the same issue. 👉 Something fundamental has shifted. 🌀 The Common Thread The message was consistent: → HoldCos are no longer trusted to navigate the future. Not because of talent. Not because of scale. But because the machinery running these organisations was built for yesterday’s problems, not tomorrow’s realities. A model optimised for headcount, hierarchy, and incremental change simply can’t compete in a world defined by speed, automation, and integration. And both groups agreed on one uncomfortable point: 👉 Publicis has pulled away from the pack. While others restructure and re-announce. → Publicis has been executing. → Everyone else is still deciding. 🟦 What Brands Told Me Recurring themes: → AI readiness → Data at the core → New agency models → Pricing model evolution → Exploring independents, collectives & martech Brands aren’t waiting. They’re building ecosystems, not relying on single partners. A marketing leader said it clearly: 👉 “No holding company can give us everything we need anymore.” 🟧 What Investors Told Me Investors are asking sharper questions: → Why is the Publicis gap widening? → Why aren’t restructures creating lift? → What does AI do to the model? → Where is the conviction? They’re no longer assessing earnings. They’re assessing readiness for a world powered by AI. 🌀 The Two Big Questions 1) How did Publicis pull away? They made the hard decisions early. → Integrated data → Integrated tech → Integrated media → Integrated creativity 👉 Into one operating system. Not a slogan, a model. 2) What does AI mean for HoldCos? It makes the old model untenable: → Too slow → Too layered → Too dependent on human volume 👉 AI rewards integration, systems, and coherence. 🌀 The Advice I Gave 🟦 For brands → Build an integrated ecosystem combining HoldCo scale, independent agility, and martech capability. 🟧 For investors → Ask strategic and operational questions, not just financial ones. Some groups still underestimate the change required. You cannot fix a structural problem with cyclical thinking. 🌀 My Final Thought The industry isn’t collapsing. It’s evolving. But evolution requires more than another restructure or platform launch. It requires… → A new agency model built for AI, not adapted to it → A value-driven philosophy that aligns talent, clients, and outcomes → A new type of leadership that makes hard decisions, not announcements Brands see it. Investors see it. Employees see it. The only question now: Will the HoldCos change before the market moves past them? ivanfernandes.me

Why Brands Must Communicate More, Not Less, in Times of Turbulence... In moments of uncertainty, one instinct is surprisingly common among businesses: to step back from communication. When markets are volatile, geopolitical tensions rise, or economic conditions become unpredictable, many brands choose silence. They pause campaigns, reduce public messaging, and wait for stability to return. In my experience, that is often the wrong instinct. Periods of turbulence are precisely when brands must communicate more thoughtfully, more transparently, and more consistently. The reason is simple. When uncertainty rises, people actively search for signals of stability. Customers, employees, partners, and investors all want reassurance that the institutions they engage with remain steady and responsible. If a brand goes silent, it unintentionally allows speculation and doubt to fill the vacuum. Communication during such moments does not mean louder marketing or aggressive promotion. In fact, the tone must be the opposite. It requires calm, measured messaging that reassures stakeholders about continuity, preparedness, and values. For brands built over decades, reputation is a form of trust capital. That trust is strengthened not during easy times, but during difficult ones. Clear communication helps achieve three important things. First, it reassures stakeholders that the organization is stable and attentive to changing realities. Second, it demonstrates leadership. In uncertain environments, people naturally look toward institutions and leaders who can communicate with clarity and composure. Third, it reinforces long-term brand credibility. When a brand continues to show up consistently, even during challenging times, it signals confidence in its own foundations. At PNG Jewellers, we have always believed that a brand is not built only through products or campaigns. It is built through relationships and credibility developed patiently over years. Those relationships require continued engagement, especially when the world feels uncertain. Silence may feel safe in the short term. But thoughtful communication builds trust that lasts far longer. Because in times of turbulence, people are not just looking for information. They are looking for reassurance. And responsible brands have a role to play in providing it. #Leadership #BrandTrust #ReputationManagement #BusinessLeadership #StrategicCommunication #PNGJewellers #thinkpure

Consumer Sentiment is broken. This is how you win it back. Let me ask you this: When was the last time a brand campaign made you actually trust the company more? And with this question, I welcome you to 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐁𝐑𝐀𝐍𝐃𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐄𝐃𝐈𝐓 #5. Consumer sentiment is plummeting. Uncertainty is high. Purchase intent is slowing down. And the gap between what brands say and what they do has never been wider. 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐮𝐦𝐞𝐫 𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐧𝐨 𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐫 𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐧𝐞𝐝 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐮𝐦𝐞𝐫 𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠. A McKinsey study reveals how dramatically behavior has shifted: 💡 Rising prices are the #1 concern across all 18 markets surveyed 💡 79% of consumers are trading down, delaying purchases, hunting deals, cutting back in one category to splurge in another 💡 47% now prioritize locally owned companies 💡 Gen Z spends twice as fast as previous generations, but 40% worry about their financial futures Here's the paradox: Consumers are spending less thoughtfully but more emotionally. They're skeptical of brands but desperate for authenticity. Here is a framework for winning back trust: 🔵 𝐖𝐚𝐥𝐤 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐚𝐥𝐤: Trust isn't built in campaigns. It's built in actions. If your brand stands for sustainability, show it in your supply chain. Authenticity is the only currency that works. 🔵 𝐆𝐞𝐭 𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐮𝐥𝐚𝐫 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐚𝐮𝐝𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐬: Gen Z splurges on beauty. Gen X researches on social first. One-size-fits-all messaging doesn’t get you anywhere. Use targeting to meet people where they actually are (generationally, geographically, emotionally). 🔵 𝐑𝐞𝐝𝐞𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐯𝐚𝐥𝐮𝐞: Value doesn't mean cheap. It means worth it. Consumers will pay for convenience but ruthlessly cut you if you don't deliver. 🔵 𝐁𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝 𝐚 𝟑𝟔𝟎° 𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰: Use AI-powered social listening and behavioral data. Simple methods for predicting consumer behavior are over. 🔵 𝐒𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐮𝐩 𝐥𝐨𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲: In Europe, 42% have a worse perception of American brands than at the start of 2025. Tailor to local tastes. Consumers aren’t less willing to spend. They’re just waiting for brands they can trust. Where have you seen brands genuinely win back trust?

A single story can shake the trust built over decades. That’s what happened when Tannourine, faced a public health scandal that spread faster than the facts. Within hours, social media turned speculation into certainty. Screenshots, posts, and assumptions replaced evidence. Suddenly, the question wasn’t “Is it true?” but “Can we ever trust it again?” Here’s what every company should take away, as a mindset toward risk, credibility, and communication. 1. Crisis doesn’t wait for clarity, communication must not wait for perfection Silence is not prudence; it’s permission for rumors to fill the gap. Brands must speak early, calmly, and with one voice. A designated spokesperson should own the narrative, informed, credible, and human. 2. Virality is the new recall Today, misinformation spreads faster than evidence. By the time test results or statements arrive, public opinion is already shaped. Risk management must include social monitoring and rapid digital response, not just operational protocols. 3. Risk management is brand insurance Every company should have a Risk Management Committee. Its job is to map scenarios, define protocols, and train teams to act under pressure. A clear risk assessment plan prevents confusion when the unexpected happens. 4. One clear statement can save years of reputation Imagine if the brand had come forward from day one with a transparent, factual message: “Here are the facts. Here’s what we’re doing. Here’s when we’ll update you.” That is how you replace panic with professionalism. 5. The brand you build in calm is the trust you spend in crisis Reputation is not built during a scandal, it’s tested. Brands that have invested in credibility and communication recover faster because the public wants to believe them. Crises don’t destroy brands; bad responses do. The lesson from Tannourine isn’t about water. It’s about trust, speed, and clarity. In a world where one viral post can rewrite your story, every brand should ask: If tomorrow the internet turns against me, am I ready to answer, not react?

We often talk about brand trust as something intangible. The data suggests otherwise. What’s becoming clearer is that the relationship between trust and brand demand is now stronger than ever. When trust grows, demand tends to follow. When it weakens, growth becomes harder to sustain. At its core, branding creates an implied contract. A promise that says: this is what you can expect from us, every time, in exchange for the price you pay. Trust is built when that promise is delivered consistently, through product quality, customer care, and the everyday experiences consumers have with the brand. Not through one-off campaigns, but through repetition and reliability. What’s often overlooked is that trust is as much about familiarity as it is about differentiation. Being present, recognisable, and reinforced through social proof matters more than ever. As social platforms have grown, so has the role of visibility in shaping trust. People trust what they see others using, experiencing, and standing behind.(Cue in the Creator economy) This is where execution frequently falls short. Many brands invest heavily in storytelling, but underinvest in the systems that uphold the promise. Inconsistent service, product issues, or poorly managed social channels can erode trust far faster than it is built, and the impact is amplified in public digital spaces. For CMOs, insight and brand teams, the implication is clear. Trust has to be designed into the organisation, not added on at the end. That means aligning brand promise with product delivery, customer experience, and data signals, measuring trust in ways that link to demand and retention, and managing visibility and social proof with the same discipline as any other growth driver. Most brands say they value trust, but far fewer build for it consistently.