In Brands We Trust

The Festival theme of ‘Re-Writing the Rule Book’ is an acknowledgement that we have all been through one of the most turbulent economic periods in recent history. This has hit both business and the consumer, and has changed operating procedures, business model and attitudes on both side of the seller/consumer dynamic. Of these attitudinal changed, perhaps the greatest have been in the areas of trust, loyalty and privacy. There has been a flight to austerity, both in product purchasing, but also in advertising messages and creative. Consumers have reverted to brands that they trust, driven by fewer dollars, pounds or euros in their pocket and loyalty has become a valuable commodity. There has also been a more subtle readjustment in the area of privacy. Consumers are becoming aware of the value of their data (whether it be surfing patterns, personal data and so on) and they are more aware than ever of the transaction at the heart of the advertising model that sees consumer data being exchanged for content, entertainment, services and more. With a growing demand for ‘free’ content and a growing awareness of the value of their own data, are marketers and consumers on a collision course? This session will reveal the latest data and insight on the subject, helping delegates to understand how they can best engage consumers on their terms in 2010 and beyond.

Gian will present, using comScore data, a view of how the consumer attitude towards trust, loyalty and privacy has shifted over the past twelve months. He will use examples from specific industries to draw out macro learnings that can be applied to any business that has to understand the shifting consumer perception of these three key issues, which have become increasingly important for brand marketers in the last 12 months.