Mind the gap: when people, brand and business are disconnected

Our Managing Director, Rachel Bevans, gathers insights from latest research to understand the relationship between trust and alignment.

Trust in brands is low

A recent study by Havas found that only 39% of brands are seen as trustworthy, with 71% of consumers having little faith that brands will deliver on their promises. These findings highlight the lack of alignment between brand communications and the actual experience being delivered by the business. Ultimately because leaders and employees are not aligned to your brand and the capabilities of your business.

Yet trust in business has increased

Whilst trust in brands is at an all-time low, Edelman’s Trust Barometer indicates that trust in business has increased to 63%. Even more so my employer… 78% trust my employer to do what’s right. 

Employer brands win trust through regular and transparent communications, employee wellbeing, health and safety, training and development, and offering a diverse representative workforce. 

Business gains trust through sustainable business practices, long-term thinking vs short-term profits, driving economic prosperity. 

And CEOs are expected to be accountable to the public, lead the change and address societal problems.

People expect brands to act in line with business

Beyond providing utility, people expect this bigger picture thinking and action from brands too. Havas identified that 73% of people want brands to act for the good of society and planet; and 64% of people prefer to buy from companies with a reputation for purpose as well as profit. Toluna’s Consumer Barometer identified that 79% of people globally go out of their way to engage with brands that align with their values and 47% have stopped supporting brands that don’t.

People want to buy from brands that have a purpose and values aligned to theirs.

Way back in 2014, Gallup research revealed that “when consumers are aligned with a brand, they give it twice as much share of wallet as those who are not aligned with that same brand. It can be difficult for consumers to fully trust in a brand and align themselves with it, but when they do, they reward it generously.”

These findings highlight a disconnect between business, brand and employer brand strategies, the company’s purpose and values and those of customers, employees and key stakeholders.

Environmental pressures are raising expectations and complexity

We’re faced with an increasingly dispersed and specialised workforce, fragmented media and distribution, increased competition from lower barriers to entry, and an urgency to address foundational problems such as healthcare and education, poverty, equity and discrimination, climate change, fake news and protecting people’s individual freedoms. This environment is raising expectations of customers, employees and investors and increasing complexity for business. It is little wonder the challenges that were raised seven years ago are still here and only getting worse.

Alignment is key to building brand trust, sustainable brand value and business results

Your business needs:

• A vision, purpose and values to align employees, customers and all stakeholders
• Business, brand and employer brands and value propositions that are multi-dimensional and interconnected whilst projecting a united image to the world
• A unique, compelling and meaningful brand promise with which employees are engaged and aligned, so they consistently deliver against the promise; aligned with an employer brand that attracts, retains and engages the right employees to deliver your business and brand strategies 
• A cohesive identity – visual, voice, behaviour, sensory – across corporate, customer and employer brands to unite your business, so it is easily found and recognised in the crowd.
• Your business position on sustainability, its multi-dimensions, their relevance to audiences and how they tangibly pull through to your customer, corporate and employer brands
• An holistic marketing strategy – product, place, price, promotion, people, process and service – that delivers business objectives

How we can help

From 28 years experience, we’ve found that the single biggest challenge a business faces in achieve results is lack of alignment: between a company’s purpose and values and those of its customers, employees and stakeholders; between business, brand and employer brand strategies and value propositions; between operational silos; and between the promise the company is making to its employees, customers and stakeholders through its communications and their actual experiences. 

The Healthy Brand Company is a research and strategy consultancy that engages customers, employees and stakeholders to build and align business, brand and employer brand strategies, communications and experiences.