Consumers have become information rich and time poor. The old method of judging products—by comparing features and benefits—no longer works. Today, it's all about trust. If I can trust the maker, I can buy now and worry about it later. The degree of trust I feel about the product, rather than an assessment of its features and benefits, will determine whether I'll buy from you or a competitor.
Creating trust should be the fundamental goal of brand design. Trust is the ultimate shortcut to a buying decision. Building trust should be your most important brand strategy.
But, we've found it takes more than strategy to build a brand. It takes strategy, creativity, and community together. The problem is, these three things, in most companies, are separated by wide chasms, and brand messaging that instills trust is lost before it reaches the customer.
We talk to the people who know your brand best. Your sales staff and your leadership team come first, but not together. We have found that these groups sometimes see your brand differently, and it's important that we get each group's candid feedback.
We'll concentrate on three little unambiguous questions that help us determine why consumers should care about, and trust, your brand. They help us see what makes your brand different from your competitors.
Once we know what your key differentiators are, we work with you to interview a select group of your customers with questions developed during our discovery process. Your customers will help us discover how trust was formed in those relationships and what communities they use to build trust in other types of relationships.