Why Trust Will Make or Break Your Business in 2025

Remember What We Talked About Last Week?

• 61% of people believe business leaders are lying to them

• Bombas proved that trust isn’t just “nice” - it’s a revenue driver

• Trust isn’t automatic… it’s earned

But here’s the thing: Trust isn’t just a vague concept; it’s measurable and it’s essential for survival. If you don’t know how to build it, you’re already behind.

Tahj Williams - At just 26, Tahj is making history as the first artist to partner with the NFL to design the official Super Bowl LIX logo and theme art. Her work, deeply rooted in the Black Masking Indian culture of New Orleans, is a masterclass in authenticity - proving that trust in storytelling, heritage and identity is what truly resonates.

Here’s What We’re Talking About Today:

Audience Insights & Future Trends:

The Trust Equation (Yes, You Can Measure Trust)

Forget the corporate marketing fluff. Trust isn’t a slogan, it’s a formula:

Trust = (Credibility + Reliability + Intimacy) – Self-Orientation

• Credibility: Are you backing up what you say? Some banks aren’t.

• Reliability: Are you consistent in your actions? Mark Zuckerberg, really?

• Intimacy: Do you actually understand your audience? We’re waiting to see if Jaguar does.

• Self-Orientation: Are you focused on serving others, or just yourself? Should I even mention the T word?

Low-trust brands, leaders and businesses fail because they get this equation wrong.

📈The Data:

• 81% of consumers need to trust a brand before buying (Exploding Topics)

• 88% say lack of trust is a dealbreaker (eMarketer)

• 93% of executives agree that trust improves the bottom line (PWC)

Want proof? Look at Patagonia.

Case Study: Patagonia - When Telling Customers NOT to Buy Builds Trust

Patagonia could have done what every other brand does—pump out ads, push new products, and flood your feed with #sustainability slogans. Instead, they did something radical.

They literally told customers NOT to buy.

When Patagonia launched its “Don’t Buy This Jacket” campaign, they called out their own industry’s overproduction problem and encouraged people to repair their old gear instead.

What happened next?

• Sales increased by 30%

• Customer loyalty skyrocketed

• They built trust - not with words, but with action

📝 Lesson: Trust isn’t about saying the right thing. It’s about proving it, over and over again.

The Three Trust Killers (Avoid These at All Costs)

Think your brand is trustworthy? Here’s how you might be destroying it:

1. Overpromising & Under-Delivering

   • Saying one thing, doing another.

     • Example: Google’s habit of killing projects - users lose faith in long-term support (TechCrunch)

2. Lack of Transparency

   • Hiding problems, avoiding accountability - people will find out.

     • Example: X (Twitter) bleeding users due to constant policy U-turns (The Verge)

3. Playing It Safe with Generic Messaging

   • Corporate fluff ≠ trust. People trust real voices.

     • Example: Patagonia’s bold moves vs. H&M’s vague “sustainability” claims

We Need New Tools to Build & Train for Trust

Most brands assume trust. That’s a mistake.

💡Actionable Idea:

Move beyond vanity metrics - train teams to measure real trust indicators like engagement depth, repeat customers and brand advocacy.

🛠️ Tools to Explore:

• Live community insights

• Real customer feedback loops

• New trust-driven KPIs

Want to learn from the best? Join our community and you might just hear from Noelle Mykolenko, CEO of The Trusted Advisor Associates, at our next Connected Festival.

Not Just Another Ad - A101 The Connected Festival & The Lively Grit Daily House

Look, I could easily sell this space to sponsors, but that’s not what I do. Instead, I want to keep you in the loop on what we’re building at A101 and Lively - and why it matters.

What’s coming up?

We’re tackling the biggest shifts in media, marketing and human connection. Here’s what’s on our radar:

✅ Formula E is rewriting the rules of motorsport—and marketing
✅ Can you actually measure trust? And can an app train you on it?
✅ Advertising is shifting—here’s how brands need to adapt
✅ AI is reshaping Hollywood—what’s next for entertainment?
✅ The rise of virtual experiences—why brands are betting big
✅ Does hypnosis actually improve work performance? (No, really.)

And that’s just the start. It’s all going down at our next Connected Festival for our members. Want in? Find someone in our network, and they might just hook you up with a free pass.

Heading to SXSW? You Should Be.

SXSW + A101 + Lively = Collaboration, Innovation & Growth

The Lively Grit Daily House is where our community meets IRL.

🔥 Here’s a taste of what to expect:
🎨 Dell is bringing three creative partners to showcase AI in action.
🚀 We’re celebrating Women in Tech (a month early, because why wait?).
🤖 Meet our very own AI-powered host Robot—yes, it talks back.
🍸 Music, food, and drinks every day. Plus, we’re bringing back the legendary Bloody Mary Brunch on Sunday, March 9th.

👉 Want to partner with us or attend? Let’s make it happen.
📩 Email back if you want to collaborate.
🔗 Register here for virtual access. Use this code for a free pass audience101
🎟️ Request a personal invite for the event.

Behind the Scenes: Confessions of an Agency Founder

When I started my agency in 2002, trust was everything.

• Clients shared their budgets

• Agencies worked toward shared goals

• If the campaign worked, everyone won. If it didn’t, we adjusted - together

Then, everything changed.

• Budgets became scrutinized & misunderstood

• Creativity was devalued & negotiated

• Partnerships turned into transactions

Trust disappeared.

Clients built in-house agencies. Agencies fought for relevance. Instead of working together, we built walls. The word collaboration lost its meaning.

So where do we go from here?

1. Keep playing the same game - fighting for control, squeezing fees and pretending the model still works.

2. Rebuild something better - one based on trust, shared value and real partnerships.

How do we rebuild trust?

• Invite clients back inside the agency process: real transparency, not just dashboards

• Build trust through introductions, not cold sales pitches

• Stop white-labeling—start collaborating directly

• Prioritize creativity & impact over procurement-driven transactions

This is why we built Audience101 - an open forum, starting with everyone I have worked with and trusted over the years. No pitches. No BS. Just real people, with real values, and the ultimate skills.

Mood Board: What Our Community is Sharing this Week

Call to Action

Your Turn: Let’s Talk Trust

Coming Next Week (Feb 19):

• Why 67% of Gen Z don’t trust marketing

• How Liquid Death built a cult following with brutal honesty

• Why the future of marketing is trust-based, not ads-based