The Trust Equation

The Secret Formula Behind Marketing That Actually Works

Trust = (Credibility + Reliability + Intimacy) / Self-Orientation

One critical element that significantly enhances the Trust Equation in marketing is authentic empathetic communication – the genuine ability to understand and share the feelings of your audience. When brands truly demonstrate they comprehend customer challenges, aspirations, and emotions, trust flourishes organically.

Phatic communication serves as a trust multiplier by:

• Signaling authentic human presence behind the brand

• Creating comfortable familiarity through social rituals

• Establishing connection before transaction

• Demonstrating attunement to social and cultural contexts

Brands that master phatic communication make their audiences feel seen and acknowledged as humans first, customers second – dramatically boosting the intimacy factor while reducing perceived self-orientation.

What makes the Trust Equation so powerful for marketers is that it transforms trust from a vague aspiration into specific variables you can measure and improve. It reveals why some brands with modest budgets outperform competitors spending millions.

In a marketing landscape where attention spans are low and information abundant, the brands that win aren't those that shout loudest—they're the ones that build trust most effectively through this proven equation. If you have a marketing person that is naturally prone to emphatic language skills and inherently understands your brand, hang onto them. If you want assistance in improving your messaging, contact us.