Trust vs.
belief
Trust vs.
belief
Our industry has always told us that marketing builds trust. But this year, Art & Science data tells us something different: marketing builds belief.
This distinction is more defined than you might think, which is why it’s important that we fully understand it. Trust vs. belief can change the way you approach marketing altogether, so let’s elaborate.
Opening the door to opportunity
Belief is the first step. It opens the door and creates the opportunity. It is the hope that a customer might understand your potential, even before proof has been shown. In our research, almost every respondent recognised this stage (95%).
Trust only comes after successful delivery and performance. It is something that belongs to the whole company. And marketing can only maintain trust once it exists – it cannot create it.
The difficulty is that belief cannot be reduced to a formula. It can’t be reproduced in the same way every time – even though it doesn’t stop us from trying.
of IT decision makers say they pass through a stage of belief before they ever reach trust
Opening the door to opportunity
Belief is the first step. It opens the door and creates the opportunity. It is the hope that a customer might understand your potential, even before proof has been shown. In our research, almost every respondent recognised this stage (95%).
Trust only comes after successful delivery and performance. It is something that belongs to the whole company. And marketing can only maintain trust once it exists – it cannot create it.
The difficulty is that belief cannot be reduced to a formula. It can’t be reproduced in the same way every time – even though it doesn’t stop us from trying.
of IT decision makers say they pass through a stage of belief before they ever reach trust
of buyers say belief makes them open to a provider; trust makes them stay
Belief fluctuates fast
In a world where dazzling theatrics and rigorous research are both instantly available, belief fluctuates fast. From the rise of AI to sustainability obligations, customer demand and team burnout, many factors influence our opinions.
Against this backdrop, the sheer flood of content has not eased concerns either – it has multiplied them. Buyers consume more than ever in search of authenticity, but how do they know what’s true? And how do they know where the data has come from?
Belief fluctuates fast
In a world where dazzling theatrics and rigorous research are both instantly available, belief fluctuates fast. From the rise of AI to sustainability obligations, customer demand and team burnout, many factors influence our opinions.
Against this backdrop, the sheer flood of content has not eased concerns either – it has multiplied them. Buyers consume more than ever in search of authenticity, but how do they know what’s true? And how do they know where the data has come from?
of buyers say belief makes them open to a provider; trust makes them stay
of buyers say real trust begins only after delivery or performance
of buyers say most provider content tries to build trust – when what they really want is belief that a provider understands their world
Three major forces shaping belief
Whether it be reputation ratings, analyst reviews, case studies or recorded interactions – marketing’s job is to give buyers the evidence they need to let imagination tip into reason. But belief is not about certainty, it is about having just enough conviction to move forward.
You can see how fragile belief is. It reacts to pressures in today’s decision-making landscape too.
That’s why we’ve identified three of the strongest forces shaping it, to provide context for our research this year:
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