Latest news with #brandtrust
Forbes
28-05-2025
- Business
- Forbes
Beyond DEI Fatigue: How CARES Framework Builds Authentic Brand Trust
Image showing the Five CARES dimensions of consumer social well-being that drive brand trust. Navigating the complex landscape of today's market, many CMOs are grappling with "DEI fatigue" and a growing skepticism around corporate social initiatives. Yet, in this environment, building authentic brand trust has never been more critical. This article introduces a powerful new CMO strategy for achieving true consumer trust and lasting loyalty: The CARES Framework. We'll demonstrate how brands can move beyond performative gestures to genuinely resonate with their audience, as exemplified by the surprising, yet brilliant, move from menstrual care startup, Sequel. When Sequel recently signed a stadium sponsorship deal with Audi Field - home of D.C. United men's soccer - it wasn't merely a PR stunt. It was a strategic masterclass in embedding utility and visibility to earn deep brand trust where it's long been overlooked. This initiative builds on the core insights from our series, which first explored how corporate DEI efforts faltered under the weight of overpromising and underdelivering, implicating marketing strategy in exposing that gap. Subsequent articles examined consumer backlash, revealing how a lack of alignment can erode trust, and introduced the psychology of social threat and reward as a key lens for understanding consumer reactions. This brings us to the CARES Framework, the core of modern brand trust. It proposes that the next era of brand trust will be shaped not by ideology, but by how five core dimensions of consumer well-being are proactively addressed by brands: Connection, Agency, Recognition, Equity, and Security. The CARES Framework captures how consumers assess brand experiences not only for functional value, but for how they impact emotional and relational well-being. It's not just about what brands do - it's about how brands engage with the social threat already present in consumers' lives and actively deliver consumer reward. Marketers leveraging CARES are urged to: In today's landscape of hyper-visibility and heightened sensitivity, many brands hesitate to take bold action, fearing the kind of backlash that has sunk campaigns, derailed careers, and diluted missions. Yet, it's precisely these moments that call for a new CMO strategy and market-driven innovation. Sequel isn't just avoiding triggering social threat - it's meeting the moment with clarity, confidence, and cultural intelligence. By addressing an often-ignored population in a high-profile men's sports venue, the brand signals a new standard for strategic resonance and market relevance. This pivotal moment is also made possible by D.C. United and, more broadly, Major League Soccer (MLS) - a league that increasingly understands that expanding the fan experience means recognizing, not marginalizing, its full audience. In supporting Sequel's presence, MLS shares the spotlight and helps create a platform for consumer reward. This isn't just a one-off headline; it's a powerful blueprint for emotionally intelligent branding and a direct activation of consumer reward across all five CARES Framework domains. Here's how Sequel exemplifies each: 'We Actually Recognize That Men's Sports Have Female Fans' This quote from Sequel cofounder and CMO Amanda Calabrese captures a long-overdue shift in brand thinking. Female fans have always been in the stands, but rarely acknowledged as core customers. Sequel's presence in Audi Field doesn't just say you belong here; it says you always did, fostering immediate consumer connection and building brand trust. Unlike brands that isolate female fans through pinkwashed marketing or "separate but unequal" experiences, Sequel builds genuine connection through integration - making menstrual care a seamless part of the shared sports experience. This is a crucial lesson for market-responsive marketing. D.C. United's openness to the partnership reflects a broader shift within Major League Soccer (MLS) toward recognizing all fans, not as niche markets, but as core participants in the culture of the game. Sequel's innovation isn't superficial; it's about genuine product empowerment. Their spiral tampon was designed based on the needs of elite women athletes – optimized for comfort, performance, and movement. This isn't cause marketing; it's a commitment to user control and experience. Rather than rebranding existing products in pastel colors, Sequel focuses on giving users more control over their physical comfort and experience. This isn't just marketing to women - it's designing with them in mind, a crucial lesson for any CMO seeking to build consumer trust through tangible value. D.C. United's decision to give Sequel a platform within MLS reflects an organizational commitment to giving fans – and the brands that serve them – room to operate with dignity and relevance. When leagues remove outdated gatekeeping, they unlock agency for both athletes and audiences, deepening brand loyalty. Sequel's move isn't about claiming elite sponsorship real estate. It is about recognition – elevating an essential need that had long been overlooked. By embedding menstrual care visibly into the stadium experience, Sequel validated the presence and importance of female fans. This strategic visibility is a powerful way to cultivate brand trust. This contrasts sharply with traditional sponsorships that prioritize visibility for luxury goods or entertainment tie-ins. Sequel recognizes that providing for basic needs can be a powerful form of respect – one that turns silent necessities into visible norms. This approach provides a clear example for CMOs seeking to enhance brand recognition through genuine utility. D.C. United amplifies that recognition by treating Sequel's partnership as a mainstream, not marginal, part of the stadium experience, further cementing consumer trust. In Sequel's deal with Audi Field, menstrual products won't be offered only during women's games or in separate zones. They'll be available at every event, for every attendee who needs them. That signals equity - not accommodation. When brands and organizations assume the presence and needs of all consumers from the outset, they level the playing field. Fairness isn't positioned as an extra favor; it becomes basic design logic. This proactive approach to broad market appeal is essential for building foundational brand trust. MLS's role isn't passive. By enabling equal access across all games - not just women's matches - D.C. United and the league will institutionalize fairness as a feature of the venue, not an exception for special circumstances. This commitment to strategic relevance strengthens consumer loyalty. Events are high-stakes experiences. Whether you're at a game, concert, or public rally, no one wants to worry about whether basic needs will be met. By offering free, high-quality menstrual products in public restrooms, Sequel removes uncertainty and potential embarrassment. That's how brands create emotional safety: not through slogans, but through preparedness - a core element of authentic brand trust. The fact that a major men's sports venue, under MLS leadership, embraces Sequel's integration sends an even bigger signal: you are not an afterthought. Embedding care into infrastructure - not just messaging - helps reduce stigma and build real consumer trust. For CMOs, understanding this aspect of consumer reward means recognizing that when people don't have to think about whether their fundamental needs will be met, they can fully engage in the experience – and deepen their connection to the brand and environment, providing that essential security. The most effective brand strategies aren't built on risk aversion; they're built on insight, courage, and a profound commitment to delivering what consumers actually need to feel seen, secure, and respected. As demonstrated by Sequel's innovative marketing strategy, Connection, Agency, Recognition, Equity, and Security aren't just soft goals. They are hard drivers of consumer trust, loyalty, and sustainable growth. If your brand hasn't yet mapped how its actions affect each of these critical dimensions, now is the time for a crucial CMO strategy session. Ask yourself: Where might we be complicit in social threat? Where are we silent when we could be supportive? And where can we go beyond risk mitigation to deliver real, resonant consumer reward? The CARES Framework offers a practical tool for navigating these complex questions - not as a rigid checklist, but as an essential compass for modern marketing innovation. Let it guide your next product decision, your next campaign brief, and your next boardroom conversation. Because the future of brand relevance isn't neutral. It's built on authentic brand trust, emotional safety, human connection - and bold, insightful moves like Sequel's that show consumers they truly belong. To explore how the CARES Framework builds on foundational neuroscience while moving beyond outdated identity-based segmentation, read the full Forbes CMO series on consumer social well-being - and how social threat and reward now drive brand trust.
Forbes
19-05-2025
- Business
- Forbes
It's Time For Communications To Evolve—Or We Risk Irrelevance
Lars Voedisch, Founder & CEO at PRecious Communications ; international comms & growth advisor; startup expert; public speaker. getty In a business environment increasingly shaped by volatility, digital acceleration and stakeholder scrutiny, communications leaders face a critical inflection point. Generating media coverage or amplifying brand stories is no longer enough. Today's C-suites demand communications that directly support business goals, whether driving revenue, enhancing reputation, recruiting top talent or navigating environmental, social and governance challenges. In this new reality, communications must evolve into a strategic lever or risk becoming a vanity line item on the budget sheet. Traditional metrics—impressions, mentions and media hits—fail to capture what truly matters. These are not business outcomes. At best, they are visibility indicators; at worst, they are distractions. Modern organizations require communications that serve as a problem-solving function, one that can anticipate reputational risks, support market entry strategies, build trust in leadership and align messaging with purpose. Increasingly, companies are seeking partners who can do more than execute campaigns. They want advisors who understand industry dynamics, commercial imperatives and organizational challenges. Strategic communications today means: • Connecting messaging with measurable business impact • Managing brand and stakeholder trust during change • Influencing perception across owned, earned, paid and shared channels • Using analytics to drive predictive—not just reactive—insight This demands a shift within agencies and in-house teams alike. Evolving From Amplification To Advisory The future of communications lies in integration—where narrative meets performance, where media strategy supports talent attraction and where reputation becomes a measurable asset. This future also demands new capabilities: advisory sprints; environmental, social and governance (ESG) and risk audits; AI-assisted analysis; and leadership communications aligned with corporate transformation. Generative AI is changing the game, but it is not eliminating the need for communicators. Instead, it commoditizes basic outputs while amplifying the importance of human judgment, nuance and emotional intelligence. The leaders in this space will be those who combine technological fluency with strategic foresight—those who can use AI to enhance productivity while staying anchored in the business context. The message to communications leaders is clear: Evolve from amplification to advisory, from noise to influence. Shifting Your Mindset: Think Like A Business Strategist For agencies and in-house teams, the shift begins with a mindset reset. Communications leaders must move from content production to business translation. That means getting closer to strategy. Join product discussions, sit in HR briefings and dig into what sales is hearing on the ground. Introduce advisory sprints to identify areas of weakness early. Use ESG and risk audits to align narrative with accountability. Bring AI into the mix, but as a force multiplier, not a replacement. Most importantly, build fluency in the language of growth, risk and stakeholder value. The future isn't about more content. It's about sharper counsel, delivered sooner. You must be fluent in growth, risk, culture and transformation. Anything less may soon be seen as a luxury few can afford. Communications is no longer a siloed function. It is increasingly intertwined with investor relations, human resources, customer experience and even supply chain strategy. As businesses face pressure to demonstrate transparency and accountability, the role of communications is to ensure coherence between what a company says, does and stands for. This evolution is not just a shift in execution—it is a shift in mindset. It requires communicators to think like business strategists—to understand profit and loss dynamics, stakeholder priorities and the levers that drive both perception and performance. It calls for the integration of data with narrative, where analytics don't just prove value, but also inform direction. Perhaps most importantly, it signals a cultural shift within the function. PR and communications professionals must move beyond tactical proficiency and embrace a consultative posture. Those who can connect reputation management to commercial outcomes will increasingly be invited into earlier, more influential conversations. The Future Of Communications: Doing What Matters Today's boards and leadership teams are not interested in media coverage for its own sake. They want clarity on how messaging shapes sentiment, how positioning affects talent attraction and how brand purpose contributes to long-term differentiation. The implication is clear: The future of communications is not about doing more. It's about doing what matters. And that begins with aligning closer to the business itself. Forbes Agency Council is an invitation-only community for executives in successful public relations, media strategy, creative and advertising agencies. Do I qualify?
Forbes
12-05-2025
- Business
- Forbes
The Difference Between Personal Brand Trust And Product Trust
Don't ignore your personal brand and let the corporate brand do all the work. What inspires us to buy a particular product over its competitors? Is it trust in the product itself? Or is it trust in the people behind the brand, whose personal brand gives us confidence in the products they put their name behind? Personal brand and product trust are both important, but there are differences in how we assess and react to them. With brand trust, a product earns loyalty from customers that is not tied directly to the founder or CEO. When we buy products such as Tide laundry detergent, Froot Loops cereal, or Adobe software, we don't instantly associate an individual's name with the brand. The product stands on its own. With personal brand trust, people believe in the individual. We look for credibility, reliability, intimacy, and a lack of self-orientation. We also expect more value to be placed on the partnership than on self-interest. All of this makes a leader trustworthy. In some cases, a personal brand and product brand that once were intertwined can separate—at least partly. Think of someone such as Bill Gates, who came to prominence as the co-founder of Microsoft. Although people may still conjure images of Gates when they use Windows, he developed a persona separate from the product, having become known for philanthropy, authorship, and thought leadership. Apple and Steve Jobs were another example of a product brand that seemed to be inextricably tied to a personal brand. If you thought Apple, you thought Jobs. And if you thought Jobs, you thought Apple. Yet Apple continues to thrive today, and maybe part of Jobs's legacy is that the company could continue without him more than a decade after his death. So, where do you stand at the moment? Do you ignore your personal brand and let the corporate or product brand do all the work when it comes to establishing trust? If so, you should rethink things. Yes, the product brand is important, but your personal brand also has a key role to play in building trust. You can accomplish that through thought leadership. This, of course, will require you to step out from behind the desk and share with the world your perspective, your purpose, and your passion, all of which can tie back to the brand. Thought leaders show up to teach and to deliver value, not to sell anything first and foremost. Still, thought leadership can serve as the onramp to your company. It allows you to reach people outside of the direct-buying funnel, the place where they're expecting to be sold. With thought leadership, you are reaching them in a place––a keynote speech, a podcast, a media interview–where they're far more open to learning about you and being influenced by your message. Even when you become a thought leader, though, you can't ignore the importance of product trust—and neither can the company. On occasion, it's what you need to prioritize. Why so? Brands sometimes need to grow beyond the personality of whoever founded them. This could be for several reasons. The visionary who starts a business isn't always the right person to take the company to the next level. Or the founder's reputation could take a hit, and in that case, some distance between the founder's brand and the product brand could be helpful. On occasion, the separation between the founder and the product brand happens naturally, and at that point, a healthy brand needs to be able to stand on its own. The previously mentioned situations of Bill Gates at Microsoft and Steve Jobs at Apple are good examples of this. Even though there was a connection between the personal brands and the product brands, the trust in the products had developed to such an extent that they could survive when the connection ended. Both product trust and personal brand trust serve as on-ramps to your business, each complementing the other. When done right, the teaching element of thought leadership and the direct selling of the corporate brand or product can make an impact in their own ways at the right times in the buyer's journey. Clearly, Apple and Microsoft were cases where both kinds of trust were built. How do you achieve that level of trust for your personal brand and product brand? One way is to make sure the value proposition for both brands is consistent with each other. If the two aren't in sync, you could have trouble. Let's say that your company's brand is known for high-quality service, and your staff is taught to treat everyone with civility. But your leader is the opposite of that, acting arrogant in social settings and sending a completely different message. That disconnect will lead to problems because people expect the leader to embody the brand. If the leader and the company live up to the same promise, though, then both brands will thrive and reinforce each other. Even when you use thought leadership to promote your personal brand separate from the product brand, the two are still going to overlap. By keeping that in mind, you can bring value to both brands.
Forbes
06-05-2025
- Business
- Forbes
How Sequel Tampons Wins Female Brand Trust Through Men's Sports
WASHINGTON - JUNE 5: D.C. United fans look on against Real Salt Lake during a MLS soccer match on ... More June 5, 2010 at RFK Stadium in Washington D.C. (Photo by) Getty Images When Sequel, a menstrual care startup, recently signed a stadium sponsorship deal with Audi Field - home of D.C. United men's soccer - it won't just slap its name on a scoreboard. It will place free tampons throughout a venue historically associated with men's sports, recognizing menstruating fans as full participants, not afterthoughts. This isn't a CSR gesture. It is a strategic move to embed utility and visibility and earn brand trust where it's long been missing. The first article of this series explored corporate DEI efforts as they faltered under the weight of overpromising and underdelivering—and how marketing was implicated in exposing that gap. The second introduced a new lens for understanding consumer backlash: the psychology of social threat and reward. The most recent article proposed that the next era of brand trust would be shaped not by ideology, but by how five core dimensions of social well-being are responded to by brands: Connection, Agency, Recognition, Equity, and Security. Together, these five dimensions form the CARES Framework. CARES captures how consumers assess brand experiences not only for functional value, but for how they impact emotional and relational well-being. It's not just about what brands do—it's about how brands engage with the social threat already present in consumers' lives. CARES urges marketers to: Recognize the social threat consumers feel at the macro (societal), meso (community), and micro (individual) levels; Avoid contributing to that threat through brand actions, messages, and omissions; Create experiences that actively deliver social reward across five core domains: Connection, Agency, Recognition, Equity, and Security. In today's landscape of hyper-visibility and heightened sensitivity, many brands hesitate to take bold action, fearing the kind of backlash that has sunk campaigns, derailed careers, and diluted missions. Sequel isn't just avoid triggering threat—it's meeting the moment with clarity, confidence, and cultural intelligence. By addressing an often-ignored population in a high-profile men's sports venue, the brand signals a new standard for visibility and relevance. This moment is also made possible by D.C. United and, more broadly, Major League Soccer—a league that increasingly understands that expanding the fan experience means recognizing, not marginalizing, its full audience. In supporting Sequel's presence, MLS shares the spotlight and helps create a platform for social reward. This isn't just a one-off headline. It is a blueprint for emotionally intelligent branding - an activation of social reward across all five CARES domains. Here's how: Connection: 'We Actually Recognize That Men's Sports Have Female Fans' This quote from Sequel cofounder and CMO Amanda Calabrese captures a long-overdue shift in brand thinking. Female fans have always been in the stands, but rarely acknowledged as core customers. Sequel's presence in Audi Field doesn't just say you belong here; it says you always did. Unlike brands that isolate female fans through pinkwashed marketing or "separate but unequal" experiences, Sequel builds connection through integration - making menstrual care a seamless part of the shared sports experience. D.C. United's openness to the partnership reflects a broader shift within Major League Soccer (MLS) toward recognizing all fans, not as niche markets, but as core participants in the culture of the game. Agency: Performance-Driven Design Over Pink-Washed Packaging Sequel's innovation isn't superficial. Their spiral tampon was designed based on the needs of elite women athletes - optimized for comfort, performance, and movement. That's not cause marketing. That's product empowerment. Rather than rebranding existing products in pastel colors, Sequel focuses on giving users more control over their physical comfort and experience. This isn't marketing to women—it's designing with them in mind. D.C. United's decision to give Sequel a platform within MLS reflects an organizational commitment to giving fans - and the brands that serve them - room to operate with dignity and relevance. When leagues remove outdated gatekeeping, they unlock agency for both athletes and audiences. Recognition: Building Brand Trust Through Visibility Sequel's move isn't about claiming elite sponsorship real estate. It is about recognition - elevating an essential need that had long been overlooked. By embedding menstrual care visibly into the stadium experience, Sequel validated the presence and importance of female fans. This contrasts sharply with traditional sponsorships that prioritize visibility for luxury goods or entertainment tie-ins. Sequel recognizes that providing for basic needs can be a powerful form of respect - one that turns silent necessities into visible norms. D.C. United amplifies that recognition by treating Sequel's partnership as a mainstream, not marginal, part of the stadium experience. Equity: Fairness as Design Logic In Sequel's deal with Audi Field, menstrual products won't be offered only during women's games or in separate zones. They'll be available at every event, for every attendee who needs them. That signals equity - not accommodation. When brands and organizations assume the presence and needs of all consumers from the outset, they level the playing field. Fairness isn't positioned as an extra favor—it becomes basic design logic. MLS's role isn't passive. By enabling equal access across all games—not just women's matches - D.C. United and the league will institutionalize fairness as a feature of the venue, not an exception for special circumstances. Security: Removing Stigma, Building Assurance Events are high-stakes experiences. Whether you're at a game, concert, or public rally, no one wants to worry about whether basic needs will be met. By offering free, high-quality menstrual products in public restrooms, Sequel removes uncertainty and potential embarrassment. That's how brands create emotional safety: not through slogans, but through preparedness. The fact that a major men's sports venue, under MLS leadership, embraces Sequel's integration sends an even bigger signal: you are not an afterthought. Embedding care into infrastructure—not just messaging—helps reduce stigma and build real trust. When people don't have to think about whether their needs will be met, they can fully engage in the experience - and deepen their connection to the brand and environment, providing that security. From Framework to Field Play Sequel didn't set out to follow the CARES Framework. But by listening deeply, designing intentionally, and showing up in unexpected places, they demonstrate what social reward looks like when it's done right. The brand isn't performing allyship. It's practicing utility. It isn't seeking applause. It's providing assurance. This is how brands move from avoidance to action, from relevance to resonance. Notably, they will do it without triggering backlash. Why? Because the effort is real. Because the product solves a problem. Because the presence felt is earned, not inserted. That's the difference between building recognition and demanding credit. Closing: How Sequel Shows that Brand Trust Still Wins The best brand strategies aren't built on risk aversion. They're built on insight, courage, and a commitment to delivering what consumers actually need to feel seen, secure, and respected. Connection, Agency, Recognition, Equity, and Security aren't just soft goals. They are hard drivers of trust, loyalty, and growth. If your brand hasn't yet mapped how its actions affect each of these dimensions, now is the time. Ask yourself: Where might we be complicit in social threat? Where are we silent when we could be supportive? And where can we go beyond risk mitigation to deliver real, resonant reward? The CARES Framework offers a practical tool for navigating these questions—not as a checklist, but as a compass. Let it guide your next product decision, your next campaign brief, your next boardroom conversation. Because the future of brand relevance isn't neutral. It's built on brand trust, emotional safety, human connection — and bold moves like Sequel's that show consumers they truly belong.
