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Brand Trust in the New Normal

15 July 20

Maura Regan for Forbes Business Council, in her May 2020 The Changing Face of Brand Trust: Three Post Pandemic Non Negotiables, explained how brand trust had become more important than ever. The uncertainty causes shifts in nearly every aspect of life, from health to finance and family. As a result we, as consumers, have become more deliberate in our decision making mitigating any unnecessary risk. Addressing the challenges posed by this Covid-19 pandemic, brands need to realize how this affects the trust their market holds to their businesses. Brand trust has been on par with different aspects of a brand, from quality to values to purchase consideration. Basic roles of brand in times like this are based on brands doing what they could to be humane and show compassion. Brands are expected to protect their employees and contribute resources toward fighting this pandemic. 

At the same time, many also realize the role of brands in communicating to their audience. Brands need to focus on spreading the right message on helping people with their pandemic-related challenges. It is also important to notice how people  want brands to educate and to connect. This is why it has always been essential for brands to develop empathy. Otherwise, they might face terrible consequences. For example, their target market  convinces other people to stop using certain brands that did not act as they should have.

This is in line with actions recommended in Harvard Business Review's Brand Marketing Through the Coronavirus Crisis by Janet Balis. It is essential for brands to present themselves with empathy and transparency. They need to recognize the hardship customers experience and there are different ways to show this, from utilizing media in more agile ways to associate brands with good. This is how brands could act with confidence and humility. Milestone, as a brand consultant, puts our framework in this pandemic around building a solid brand trust for our clients. This is crucial in navigating our ways during and after the pandemic in the future.