How trust builds consumer confidence and elevates brand performance

In today’s digital-first world, trust is the cornerstone of brand success, as Allyse Slocum, VP of product and audience marketing at Trustpilot, emphasizes in a recent Ad Age Publishing Partner article. In this special edition of Ad Age’s Marketer’s Brief podcast, Slocum joins John Dioso, editor of Ad Age Studio 30, to discuss how businesses can turn trust into a strategic growth driver. “Trust has never been more critical for brand growth,” said Slocum. “At Trustpilot, our mission to be the universal symbol of trust is helping consumers make informed decisions throughout their buying journey, while enabling businesses to leverage feedback to strengthen their reputation. Reviews not only guide potential customers but also provide valuable insights that help brands grow and build lasting relationships.” In a marketing context, trust can seem like a nebulous concept. And so, analyzing millions of customer reviews as its database, Trustpilot’s platform devised a TrustScore to measure consumer confidence in brands as well as provide them with actionable insights to improve performance. Even a small increase in a company’s TrustScore can lead to significant business impact, including a 50% boost in purchase conversions, Slocum noted. “Once businesses reach a four- or five-star rating, they see even greater growth. The key is inviting all customers to review, which helps build transparency and prevents cherry-picking only positive feedback.” The high volume actually boosts consumer confidence, even when that includes negative responses, she added. Verified reviews, Slocum noted, are not only crucial for building consumer confidence but also enhance marketing performance when integrated into digital and TV ads. By inviting all customers to leave feedback, businesses can foster transparency and improve both their reputation and bottom line. Including trust signals, like star ratings and testimonials, in advertising campaigns increases brand affinity and customer endorsements, according to a Kantar and Trustpilot study conducted earlier this year. As trust becomes increasingly vital in the digital era, businesses must adapt to meet consumers where they are—online. Reflecting on the changing landscape, Slocum noted, “Our approach to trust has always stayed consistent, but over the past five years, especially during the pandemic, we’ve seen a shift where even high-stakes decisions like mortgages or loans now start online. It’s more important than ever that businesses show up authentically, and at Trustpilot, we ensure that every review is genuine. As technology evolves, we’re using it to further strengthen that trust between businesses and consumers.” About Trustpilot Trustpilot began in 2007 with a simple yet powerful idea that is more relevant today than ever—to be the universal symbol of trust, bringing consumers and businesses together through reviews. Trustpilot is open, independent, and impartial—we help consumers make the right choices and businesses to build trust, grow and improve. Today, we have more than 300 million reviews and 57 million monthly active users across the globe, with 117 billion annual Trustpilot brand impressions, and the numbers keep growing. We have more than 900 employees and are headquartered in Copenhagen, with operations in Amsterdam, Denver, Edinburgh, Hamburg, London, Melbourne, Milan and New York.

How trust builds consumer confidence and elevates brand performance

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