Being transparent is a scary thing, even for those worthy of trust. In our time of rapidly changing media and the many ways to get our message across, people are as worried about how they will be perceived (potentially negatively) as they are about how to do things “the right way”. In a way that will preserve and gain goodwill.

In some cases we don't have a convincing and proven method to measure and guarantee ROI. Depending how original a proposed strategy is we may not even have a precedent, so convincing people that they can build trust by trusting that an audience will respond to new ways of connecting is a challenge.

The reluctance to put faith in an approach which may garner trust can be attributed to a lot of things – not just fear of exposure or technology. It depends who you are and what you're trying to accomplish. Ultimately, we're all human and at that basic level we all appreciate open and honest communication, fair treatment, respect and value for our money. When we get these reliably, trust is easy.

Thanks for your comment!

I think integrity is a table stake of trust. It gets you a seat at the table (and keeps you there) but I think to build trust you have to go further. Integrity is a little like 'Free Colour TV' at a motel…you just expect it now.

Cheers,
Mike