I recently watched a video on BusinessWeek.com that shocked me. BusinessWeek’s David Kiley explored the importance of trust when it comes to the reputation of brands as part of BusinessWeek’s Best Global Brands 2009. In his report, David Wiley states that these brands are having to “get back to trust” in with their marketing strategies: “Trust is now at the center of every marketer’s strategy.”

Get back to trust?

Why do they have to get back to trust?

How did they lose trust in the first place?

In his report, Wiley states, “Consumers want to know the truth.” The report uses McDonald’s as an example. Having survived the backlash against it’s fatty fast foods and beef farming practices, McDonald’s now engages PETA on a variety of issues, has not fought against posting calorie counts on its menu boards, and is called partner by Greenpeace for it’s efforts to save South American rainforests.

Whether your corporate brand lost trust or not, you don’t have to fall prey to that same mistake because it’s all about distinguishing yourself through your relationships. In your business relationships with others, you create your own level of trust.

The Great Places to Work Institute, a research firm that studies the dynamics that make a workplace great for employees, recently shared that there are no trust-neutral interactions. Every occasion in which you have the opportunity to interact—that is, to listen, to provide information, to do a favor, to follow up on fulfilling a promise—represents an opportunity to build trust or to damage trust, either by not following through or not proving to be true to your word.

So the question remains – why do we need to get back to trust?

How did we lose trust in the first place?

I think perhaps it’s because we got wrapped up in the fast way of doing things and fell away from cultivating relationships. And if we get back to relationships, being credible, displaying integrity, and being ourselves in the process, we can take control of those parameters on ourown. So that no matter what the brand does from an advertising aspect, trust is something we can take control of – and build – in each of our business’ partnerships and relationships .