What Makes a Brand Trustworthy?

There’s more that keeps us going back than just honest communication

Photo by Caleb Frith on Unsplash

You’ve probably heard it said that consumers only buy from those they trust.

It’s easier to understand what that means when you think of salespeople. Like, imagine you walk into a car dealership and one of their salesmen approaches you. He’s probably wearing a suit and tie. He’s probably friendly and gregarious. He probably shakes your hand, asks insightful questions about what you’re looking for, and then uses his expertise to suggest the right car.

You may decide you trust him. You may not — maybe there’s something in his mannerisms that seems shady, or he ignores your budget and offers expensive cars, indicating that he’s only thinking of his commission.

But regardless, we know what it means to trust a person.

What does it mean to trust a brand? And why do we continue to trust brands when they break our trust?

I offer myself as an example. I used to eat Chipotle all the time. Then they had one health issue with their ingredients and made a bunch of people sick, but I kept eating there. Then they had another health issue, but I didn’t stop. Yet another group of people got sick, but I still eat there, and damn it, I love it.