by Robert Martin

Created on: August 07, 2008

Trust - Too Important to Dismiss

In another article, I have talked a bit about good and accurate communication and how important that is. It seems obvious to most of us and when we think about it, we don't want to be confused; we want to understand clearly. Assuming that this has been achieved, and there is no ambiguity in communication, then daily interactions in our life become all about trust. Here I will present some of my recent thoughts on trust and advertising and how it might affect a positive change in our lives.

A company cannot buy trust. It may buy another company that is trusted, and benefit from that. However, to be trusted, one must build on a history of "good" decisions and directions that are seen not purely as a commercial venture but as a true benefit to humankind.
The Internet provides essentially a limitless pool of information, experiences, and snapshots of life. Many search the Internet to research products or services that they are interested in or wish to acquire. If one cannot trust the information that is being provided, then finding that information or being exposed to this information has been essentially a waste of time, or even worse, may have mislead the consumer with false information. Time is our most precious resource. Some of us will have more time than others but I'm sure that most people don't want to waste their time. If you are researching and happen across something that is relevant to your interests, you may unknowingly accept what is being provided as the truth, when in fact, it may be incorrect or misleading. To trust everything to which we are exposed, is to expose oneself to abuse.

I was a youth in the sixties, and grew up with the notion that everyone was basically a "good" person and could be trusted. Fortunately or unfortunately, my eyes have been opened very wide in the last few decades. Trust is a rare commodity. By that, I don't mean trust that someone is not lying to you but trust that they have your best interests in mind as well.
Those companies that approach the "customer" or "client" with this prime directive will do better than those that don't. With trust, in time, respect naturally follows. What company doesn't want to be respected? There are many good examples of these types of companies today. Unfortunately, there are so many companies that are either unknown or not trustworthy that want to sell us something. Much is still to be gained by forging "ahead" in this direction to acquire the consumer's trust

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