How ‘Closeness’ Can Defeat Cynicism
It takes a lifetime to build, and only a second to break. For modern advertisers, the question of trust is an awkward one. A 2022 survey from Edelman, for example, showed that only 8% of people automatically trust information they see in advertising.
On a broader scale, this is a defining issue for brands. The most successful brand/consumer relationships have often been built on a foundation of trust, and a fundamental weakening of that foundation is bound to cause problems.
So, what gives? Is a consumer in 2022 simply destined to be more cynical than previous generations and, if so, what’s driving that trend?
To navigate these questions, LBB spoke to Mint’s executive creative director Kim Tarlo. Here, Kim reflects on why trust is not an unattainable goal for brands and how, through closeness and community, it can be tapped into for great rewards.
LBB> Kim - if people are growing increasingly cynical in 2022, why is that? What’s driving a pervasive sense of mistrust in culture broadly?
Kim> This is a big topic, so I’ll begin by saying that I won’t presume to have all the answers here. But it’s an important topic to discuss, as cynicism seems to be the preeminent foe to all brands and marketing teams in culture today.
So what’s driving it? I tend to think mistrust is being driven more by macro engines than micro. What I mean is when it comes to macro engines like mass media, politics, economics, policy, and international relations, there is suspicion on motivations, investigation and reporting. There is also great division happening, and we know that a lot of people have gained power by fuelling division amongst us. All of these have led to a culture of mistrust, and its relative, alienation.
These are macro drivers, but what we’re seeing on a micro level in communities is something else. There is a lot of belief and trust around the world in ‘my’ community, and this translates to fierce support. We see this in the seemingly limitless support for local, for instance; those people, events or brands that we feel ostensibly close to. I believe it is closeness that can iron out cynicism. We marketers call it an ‘authentic connection’.
LBB> So how realistic is it for a brand to be able to buck that trend? Can a brand be trusted in this era of mistrust?
Kim> Surely. I think we have just witnessed that together on a grand scale by Yvon Chouinard. He secured deep trust in the motivations behind that brand, but this existed in Patagonia long before he gave away his ownership to the planet. Anyone who paid attention to how that brand behaved both internally and externally could see it was keeping it real. From an endless focus on the planet to commitment to its workers, the Patagonia brand has always bucked the cynicism trend because it made its motivations clear and stuck to them.
I believe customers accept and support that a business has a financial motivator, but where that acceptance ends is when they begin to ask ‘at what cost?’. It’s important to foster trust by being clear with motivations, and unwavering in support of them. People see through a campaign that lasts a quarter or two, a core brand ethos that will build trust needs to be endless.
LBB> What about maintaining an ‘authentic’ voice in brand communications? Does it become more difficult to strike an authentic tone when your audience is less inclined to trust brands?
Kim> I come back to closeness here. When a brand is truly close to who they’re speaking to, then tone is not a problem. When you’re close to someone, you are more likely to understand who they are and what they’re living amongst. Brands need to work hard to stay close to who they want to speak to. People change quickly.
I’m witnessing this myself with my 8 month old son - the speed of change is unfathomable. Brands need to work hard to stay close to their audience, otherwise that’s when an authentic tone can become elusive.
LBB> There’s plenty of research out there to suggest that ‘word of mouth’ - and the advice of friends - remains valuable in making purchasing decisions. Would you agree with that, and how can brands possibly harness that to improve trust with their own audiences?
Kim> I believe that word of mouth reigns supreme. There is built in trust and perceived objectivity from real people. When it’s friends and family, the belief is they’re motivated to help me because they care about me. So if they refer something to me, I know it’s because they are taking care of me. When it comes from someone I may not know, but ‘follow’, I have already opted into them by following them and so there is already a level of trust established - either in their taste, their know-how or otherwise.
LBB> Let’s zoom out for a second. What kind of relationship do you think people are looking for with brands in 2022? Is trust more - or perhaps less - important than it has been in the past?
Kim> Trust is always going to be important. It is a value that runs too deep in humanity, and thankfully so. It is also a visceral motivator - to do something or not to. All of us are going to have to continue to work against cynicism to build trust. It will take empathy, optimism, and a relentless commitment to try and understand a given audience. Brands will need to find a way to get closer to their customer, and to be okay with what comes out of that whether it’s hard feedback or big changes. Like any relationship, it will only work with trust and sometimes, especially in culture today, trust isn’t just a given.
LBB> Finally, do you think we might reach the ‘floor’ of cynicism and mistrust in our culture at some point, and things will start to improve? Or is a reflexive cynicism something that we simply have to learn to live with?
Kim> I tend to believe that in culture there is a pendulum and like a pendulum moves to and fro, so will this. Yes, cynicism is thriving in culture and that is something to reckon with, but that doesn’t mean optimism is not as well. I simply choose to fuel the latter’s fire.
