📌 61% of people believe business leaders are lying to them. (Edelman Trust Barometer, 2024)

Misinformation is everywhere. Trust is broken.

The Fix? We Need More Than Words.

Last week was awesome. We hosted our first-ever Connected Conference - and it wasn’t just another industry event. No bullshit, no buzzwords - just raw conversations, real insights, and actual strategies that work.

🚀 Guess the most-used word after ‘community’?

👉 Trust.

🔴 Trust Isn’t Given - It’s Earned.

🔑 If We Can’t Trust You, You’re Not Welcome.
🛑 No salespeople. No watchers. Just real peers.

Audience101 is where professionals come together to decode shifting audience behaviour, harness new technology and rewrite the rules of engagement.

🚀 Next Connected Festival: February 27, 2025
🎟️ Only 12 spots this month. We keep it tight for a reason.
📩 Apply Now. (We’ll let you know if you’re in.)

“I felt like I was in a VIP room with my peers watching a private event” Audience101 member Chris (Global Transformation Analog Devices & Ex-SVP Cisco)

📌 Black History Month - A Tribute to Cultural Impact

Through Flyboy, Hebru Brantley redefines trust - empowering Black youth, flipping narratives and inspiring resilience.

🔥 Why This Matters for Brands:
🔹 He doesn’t chase trends - he builds movements.
🔹 He doesn’t just create art - he changes perspectives.

📌 Lesson for Brands: If you’re not telling a real story, you’re just adding noise.

Here’s What We’re Talking About Today:

Audience Insights & Future Trends:

📊 The Trust Crisis in Business, Media & Marketing

🚨 Trust is at an All-Time Low.

📉 Trust in Business Leaders:
U.S.: 36% trust business leaders (Gallup, 2025)
UK: 48% trust business - higher than government (30%) & media (31%) (Edelman, 2024)

📉 Trust in Media:
U.S.: 36% trust the media (Gallup, 2024)
UK: Only 37% - one of the lowest globally (Edelman)

📉 Trust in Government:
U.S.: Just 22% trust the federal government (Pew Research)
UK: 58% of respondents - never trust politicians (The Guardian)

💡 Takeaway: People don’t trust brands. They trust communities.

🚀 3 Non-Negotiables for Trust in Business & Marketing

📌 Authenticity Over Algorithms
AI can optimize. People connect with people.

📌 Transparency Wins
61% of people think business leaders lie. Are you proving them wrong?

📌Community Over Clickbait
Forget vanity metrics. Trust = Real engagement & relationships.

Case Study: How Bombas Turned Transparency into Loyalty

Why I Chose This:

Two of our Audience101 members, Chamin and Matt, raved about Bombas - not just for their socks, but for how the brand makes customers feel seen and valued. That made me dig deeper.

📊 The Data:

• "One Purchased, One Donated" model: Over 100 million clothing items donated to homeless shelters.

• Customer trust in action: Bombas hit $1.3 billion in sales, proving purpose drives loyalty.

• Transparency in motion: Bombas openly shares donation impact, product innovation, and customer feedback.

• Word-of-mouth growth: Their model fuels organic referrals and repeat purchases.

💡 The Takeaway:

Bombas didn’t just create a great product. They built a movement. Their radical transparency; showing exactly where donations go, how products evolve, and prioritizing customer feedback - turned one-time buyers into lifelong believers.

What Can We Learn?

✔️ Trust is Earned, Not Claimed – Saying you’re "authentic" means nothing without action.
✔️ Transparency Wins – Show your audience the "why" and "how." They’ll stick around.
✔️ Mission-Driven Business = Loyalty – People support brands that align with their values.
✔️ Trust Drives Growth – A trustworthy brand doesn’t need gimmicks. Customers become your marketers.

Behind the Scenes with Lively: The Trust Equation in Action

🚨 77% of all respondents, more than 8 out of 10 millennials, say they trusted brands more after interacting face-to-face with them at live events. Freeman 

What we learned from 17 years working with Virgin, we cracked the formula:

🔹 Turn Sponsorships into Partnerships
🔹 Build digital communities that are as alive as your events
🔹 Leverage new media channels to tell your story

🔥 The result? Audiences convert into long-term loyal customers.

🔍 Want to hear how this worked across Music, Film, and Gaming? 📩 Let’s Talk

Mood Board: What our community is sharing this week

💡 Question: Do you see trust as a risk, a reward, or a responsibility?

Call to Action

🚀 This Isn’t for Everyone. But It Might Be for You.

🔴 Find the right people
🔴 Filter out the noise
🔴 Step inside a place where trust is everything

🚀 February spots are already filling. Get in before they close.
📩 Be part of the conversation, hurry the 20% discount won’t be there forever ;)