Building Brand Trust: A Human Approach in the Age of AI & Misinformation

It is safe to say the world has become a sort of organised chaos, where everyone has an opinion and it is now harder than ever to know what to believe. Thus, brand trust isn’t just a nice thing to have, it’s everything. With information coming at us from all directions and misinformation becoming a regular part of the “conversation”, people are sceptical and rightfully so might I add. And that scepticism is only growing.

Helping Brands Build Trust

At Garden, we help brands build trust through clear, honest branding. That means getting to the heart of what a brand stands for and making sure it comes across in everything, from the way it looks to the way it speaks. We work closely with our clients to create brands that feel real and consistent, so people know they can trust them.

Consumers today are more switched on. They care not just about what a brand is selling, but about how it operates, what it stands for, and the kind of impact it has on the world. They're starting to realise that every purchase they make is, in some way, a vote, a reflection of their values, priorities, and beliefs. Whether it’s the environmental footprint of a product, how employees are treated, or how transparent a brand is about its practices, people are paying attention. Indeed, a “woke” consumer will spot greenwashing from a mile away.

This means that brands need to think beyond catchy taglines and clever campaigns. Trust can’t be manufactured, it has to be earned. And that takes consistency, honesty, and a genuine willingness to listen and engage. Customers are looking for more than just a transaction, they’re looking for a relationship. One built on mutual respect and shared values.

We’re seeing a clear shift from blind brand loyalty to cautious curiosity. People no longer stick with a brand just because they always have. If something feels off or disingenuous, they’ll move on, and probably tell others about it too. Social media has made it easier than ever for consumers to hold brands accountable, and that’s not changing anytime soon. So where does this leave brands? It leaves them with a choice.

They can either continue with business as usual, hoping their audience won’t notice the cracks, or they can embrace this new era of transparency and build something meaningful. Trust is now a competitive edge. It’s the glue that holds relationships together in a fragmented world. And once you’ve got it, you’re not just selling a product, you’re building a community.

The truth is, people want to believe in something. They want to feel good about the brands they support. But they’re not going to hand over that trust easily. It has to be earned, through actions, not just words.

Case Study: Electrical Safety First

Take Electrical Safety First. They were already doing brilliant work helping people stay safe around electricity, but their brand didn’t quite reflect how trustworthy and approachable they really are. We worked with them to build something clearer, something people could connect with. Now their brand feels calm, confident, and easy to understand, which makes it much easier for people to listen, trust, and take action.

At Garden, we believe trust isn’t something you add on at the end, it has to be there from the start. We begin by listening to what really matters to people: what they care about, what worries them, and what they expect from a brand. Then we help our clients build something real, brands that show up honestly and consistently, in how they speak, look, and behave. For us, trust comes from doing the right thing, and doing it well, again and again.

In the end, the brands that will thrive are the ones that understand this: in a world full of noise, the quiet strength of trust speaks louder than anything else.

By Yasmine Aghedar

‍