Across markets, there is a growing sense that the world has become harder to interpret. People are dealing with more information, more rapidly, within an environment that feels increasingly unsettled. Political tensions are emerging in new places, economic pressures continue to weigh on households, and social divisions are becoming more pronounced. Environmental risks are intensifying, and questions about resources are becoming a regular part of public debate. At the same time, technology is once more reshaping how information is produced and circulated, making it harder than ever to judge what is reliable.
All this taken together has left many people feeling as though long-standing points of stability are no longer as dependable as they once were. Confidence in traditional institutions has weakened and scepticism has grown.
Studies demonstrate how unsettled people feel. The 2025 Edelman Trust Barometer reports that six in 10 now experience a moderate to high sense of grievance, driven by the belief that government and business serve narrow interests while ordinary people struggle. Almost seven in 10 worry that institutional leaders deliberately mislead them, and 63% say it has become harder to judge whether information is credible.
Similarly, OECD data shows that more people now report low trust than high trust in their national government, with trust particularly weak among those who feel financially insecure. The latest Global Risks Report from the World Economic Forum also identifies misinformation and disinformation among the leading short-term global risks, underscoring how fragile trust in information and in the institutions that provide it has become.
Against this backdrop, trust has become both more fragile and more important. People want clarity and reassurance, and they increasingly expect the organisations they deal with to consistently make responsible choices and support them through uncertainty by addressing their needs.
This creates a clear opportunity for businesses. Brands that deliver reliably, act with transparency and respond to the issues people care about can provide a sense of stability when it is most needed. In doing so, they build stronger relationships with stakeholders and strengthen their resilience in a more demanding environment.
How trust is built – a simple framework for brands
Trust is the foundation on which every brand is built. A brand exists to codify a promise about what people can expect, creating a sense of confidence even before the experience itself. When that promise is delivered consistently, trust begins to take shape, but delivery alone is not enough to sustain it.
At a macro level, trust is shaped by three main dimensions: functional, relational and integrity. Functional performance remains essential, though the specific expectations vary by sector. In business-to-business (B2B) sectors for example, such as engineering, Brand Finance research shows that building trust relies mostly on functional proof points e.g. proven expertise, strong project governance and ability to deliver complex projects on time and on budget. Other considerations still apply; however, given the high-budget and high-risk environment, demonstrated capability and expertise carries the most weight. If delivered consistently, over time the brand becomes a proxy for this capability.
Beyond functional drivers, the quality of the relationship matters: whether the organisation feels attuned to their needs, how people are treated, and whether interactions feel fair and respectful. According to Brand Finance’s Global Brand Equity Monitor (GBEM) study, this is especially true in consumer sectors such as insurance where trust is heavily shaped by relational experiences such as providing great customer service, putting customers first and handling claims in a way that feels fair and straightforward. Given consumers often only meaningfully engage with their insurer at moments of distress, trust becomes closely tied to how they feel supported.
The third layer relates to integrity. In our Sustainability Perceptions Index, related attributes such as fairness, reliability, transparency and responsible behaviour play a significant role in shaping how people view a brand. Across sectors such as luxury cosmetics and insurance, perceptions account for more than 15% of brand consideration. Integrity can account for almost 30% in sectors such as real estate and luxury auto, reflecting the extent to which responsible corporate citizenship influences trust at a broader level.
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By Paula Oliveira, Global Head of Strategic Services at Brand Finance
