Trust is one of the most pressing issues in B2B. It plays a crucial role in brand reputation, client retention, and overall business growth. We'll be exploring the importance of trust during Media Week, take a look at the sessions we have planned and book your place here. In the meantime, here are some thoughts on why trust is one of the most pressing issues in B2B.
In January, at the World Economic Forum’s annual meeting in Davos, Richard Edelman unveiled the findings of the 2025 Edelman Trust Barometer. The conclusion? There’s been a steady erosion of trust for more than two decades. And it’s fueling a growth in ‘grievances’ around the world.
61% have a moderate or high sense of grievance, which is defined by a belief that government and business make their lives harder and serve narrow interests, and wealthy people benefit unfairly from the system.
(2025 Edelman Trust Barometer)
This trust deficit is a concern for governments and businesses alike – overcoming it is everyone’s responsibility – including media teams.
“Media’s got to put facts first, avoid ideology and stop chasing clicks,” Richard Edelman told the Davos attendees.
Tech Buyers and Trust
Trust also has a vital part to play in the technology buying process – particularly at the enterprise level.
While this is more complex than ever, involving multiple stakeholders and lengthy validation processes, human emotions like trust are still central to the decision. The truth remains that people buy from people.
If your business is being evaluated by a customer or prospect, the importance of trust can be found just about everywhere. Do they trust that your technology can do what you claim? Do they trust that you’ll stick around to support them after the ink has dried on the contract? Do they trust that you share the same values and outlook that they do? And so on.
After all, trust isn’t just about what a brand says – it’s about the consistency of its presence, the clarity of its message, and its ability to meet customers where they are and when they need it.
Yet many B2B tech brands still struggle to get the message out to their audiences. This matters because if you seem or sound inconsistent, people who don’t know you may assume that you are inconsistent by nature.
Which is why, when we’re planning media campaigns with our clients, we stress the importance of making every interaction count. That’s how we turn transactions into trusted partnerships.
What is Trust in B2B?
Trust in business isn’t just about likability. It’s about intention. In other words, trust is built when buyers believe:
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You know what you’re doing (credibility)
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You deliver consistently (reliability)
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You operate with integrity (transparency)
Without these, even the best product or service won’t be enough for you to close the deal.
The Trust Deficit
Trust has always been the foundation of B2B relationships. Here in 2025, three major shifts are making it more difficult – yes, even more difficult – to establish.
1. The Digital-First Buyer
We’ve all grown accustomed to the way many B2B buyers self-serve when it comes to researching potential suppliers and systems. Well, that trend is about to grow exponentially. AI is making it easier than ever to quickly compile information on different vendors, partners, technologies and more. Your business needs to establish a presence in the market that exudes trust long before your sales team even enters the picture.
That calls for audience-first strategies, powered by real buyer insights. If you're not consistently delivering credibility through precise targeting, persistent storytelling, and third-party validation, you could be losing deals you didn’t know existed.
2. Economic Uncertainty
Risk tolerance is shrinking. Budget sign-offs are taking longer. Buyers are prioritizing vendors with a track record of reliability and stability. That might sound like only established brands can win the war for trust, but there are still plenty of avenues for disruptors and challengers.
Consider some of the following: focus groups and roundtables, peer-to-peer feedback, or building communities. What do they have in common? They’re all about putting a real emphasis on the importance of human engagement – listening to what people have to say is often the most overlooked element of communication.
You should also make sure you personalize your approach to each decision-maker at every customer or prospect. Think about their role, the challenges facing them and their industry, and demonstrate knowledge and empathy in equal measure.
3. Skepticism
Buyers and decision-makers are bombarded with bold claims, exaggerated ROI figures, and jargon-heavy messaging. A lot of it is cold, impersonal, and lacking in credibility. Your customers and prospects don’t want promises – they want proof.
That’s why the most trusted brands aren’t the loudest. They’re the most transparent, consistent, and clear.
3 Steps to Building Trust into Your Media Strategy
1. Dependability: Be the Authority Buyers Rely On
Establishing credibility begins long before a buyer makes contact. Brands that invest in thought leadership, original research, and compelling customer success stories position themselves as trusted industry authorities. A clear, consistent value proposition further reinforces buyer confidence, while frequent shifts in messaging create doubt and erode trust.
2. Consistency: Always-On
Buyers place their trust in brands that consistently prove their reliability through service, quality, and communication. Over time, this consistency compounds, transforming one-time buyers into long-term loyalists. Because persistent, relevant messaging and compelling storytelling helps to build trust.
3. Transparency: Say What You Mean, Mean What You Say
Trust can be lost in an instant through hidden fees, vague contracts, and overpromising. Buyers value openness, honesty, and straightforward communication, and they are far more likely to trust brands that are upfront about limitations rather than those that avoid difficult conversations.
The Bottom Line
Trust isn’t a brand asset – it’s a sales accelerator.
B2B brands that prioritize dependability, consistency, and transparency shorten sales cycles, remove friction from decision-making, and build stronger customer relationships.
Because in the end, having the best product or service doesn’t guarantee you the sale. Having the most trusted one does.
Media Week 2025
We’ll be talking trust and much more during our upcoming Media Week (10-13 March).
From smarter targeting and media creativity to the metrics that actually matter, we’ll unpack all the fundamentals for working in B2B today – so you can make every dollar work harder.
Join us for a series of virtual events with experts to uncover the new rules of B2B media in the age of attention, register for sessions here.
