Brand trust takes years to build but can vanish in an instant. Rosina Webb explores how complacency and missteps - like Cadbury’s palm oil controversy - can erode trust and how brands can protect and rebuild it. Read more to learn how to safeguard your brand’s reputation.

It sends a shiver down my spine when I see a brand going from hero to zero. Why? Because it’s so easily avoidable, yet the consequences can be so far-reaching.

Here in New Zealand, one of the most significant examples of the loss of brand trust was that of Cadbury. The iconic purple confectionary brand’s use of palm oil saw it lose significant market share to fellow chocolatiers, Whittakers, and lose its title of ‘New Zealand’s Most Trusted Brand’ (according to Readers Digest NZ survey), which it had held for six years prior.

Brand trust can, quite simply, make or break a brand. Products are deemed to be lower quality, values come into question, processes and operations are labelled unethical, and customers feel betrayed, causing them to turn to your competitors.

Recouping lost brand trust isn’t impossible, but it will require significant time, investment, and a great deal of humble pie to make amends.

How is brand trust lost?

Let’s look first at how brand trust can be lost – and there are some hard truths here. Brand trust is most commonly lost through complacency, poor strategic planning, taking shortcuts, greed, and failure to put the customer first.

It’s lost when a brand doesn’t do what it says it’s going to do, promises are broken, blame is deflected, and an ‘our brand is so successful we can’t be touched’ mentality is adopted.

When a brand loses sight of its purpose, values, and behaviours that customers have come to expect and respect, the ship is already sinking.

Smothering the creative for fear of doing wrong

I hear all you marketers calling out, “But how can we do something different without losing brand trust?” It’s a fair question, and our answer is this: We’re creatives, so let’s express ourselves and evolve our brands with new products, services, and initiatives. We want to stay ahead of our competition, push the boundaries, and do something that hasn’t been done before.

So try that new digital campaign, launch that new product or service, and challenge the status quo. It’s what makes our industry so dynamic, exciting, and rewarding.

Be bold! Go forth and try out those new ideas, vary what you’ve been doing, and shake up the market, but do it with honesty, integrity, and professionalism. And most importantly, make sure what you’re doing aligns with your brand values.

Don’t break the rules, just push the boundaries. Be transparent with your customers, don’t skimp on quality, share the journey with your clients, and have fun. The taste of success is far sweeter than the taste of humble pie!

My 5 top tips to avoid losing brand trust

  1. Stay authentic to your brand
  2. Always deliver on quality
  3. Be open and transparent with your customers and clients
  4. If something fails, fail fast and learn fast
  5. Don’t mistake innovation for greed

Resource: https://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/companies/cadbury-fights-for-bigger-bite-of-chocolate-market/WNJTKTVX3GZXR4EA4UORZFQVV4/

Source: Rachel Kerr, Energise,  4 March 2025