Credibility is the bedrock of our profession, and we are squarely in the midst of a trust crisis.

Trust can make or break a career, a campaign, or even an entire brand.

Recent studies confirm the credibility problem with communication.

As marketing professionals, I believe it’s our challenge and responsibility to restore what’s been lost.

What happened to credibility?

If it feels harder than ever to earn your audience’s trust, it isn’t your imagination.

According to the 2025 Edelman Trust Barometer, the media is now distrusted in half of the surveyed countries.

Just 52% of people globally trust institutions like the media and business to “do what is right.”

In the U.S., trust in the media is even lower.

Only 31% of Americans express a great deal or fair amount of confidence in the news. This trend has remained largely unchanged for years.

This crisis isn’t just about mainstream news. It permeates brand messaging, B2B communications, social media posts, and leadership communications.

When everyone is a publisher, every channel becomes a megaphone. Credibility gets diluted. Even the most seasoned marketers feel the effects.

Communication has a credibility problem (and marketers must fix it)

Brands depend on credibility for everything from customer retention to recruiting top talent.

The 2025 OxfordGlobeScan Corporate Affairs Survey Report highlights the growing significance of quality and credibility in external and internal communication.

Consumers and team members alike are far more likely to support brands and employers they trust.

Why does that matter for marketers?

Because trust is our ultimate currency. We hope to earn a lot of it, because it can’t be bought and isn’t easily rebuilt when lost.

In this post-AI world, where deepfakes and misinformation spread rapidly, authentic communication is an expectation.

Careful communication is a differentiator that we face every day.

The anatomy of credibility: what audiences want

How do today’s audiences judge whether a message (or a messenger) is credible?

• Transparency: People expect open intentions, clear processes, and full disclosure of motives.
• Consistency: Brands that “walk their talk” win hearts and minds over time.
• Evidence: Audiences want claims tied to sources, not just opinions.

Marketing teams that fail to deliver on these fronts risk not only losing sales but also damaging loyalty.

The real-world impact: when credibility falters

Reputation crises, viral customer complaints, and influencer scandals have become part of the norm. Most marketing leaders (myself included) have seen at least one situation spiral due to low credibility or lingering doubt.

A Harvard Business Review study found that only 34% of survey respondents. They believed brand communications “often” or “always” accurately show reality.

The disconnect is growing each year.

When stakeholders don’t believe you, every campaign has to work that much harder.

The business cost is enormous. Loss of credibility can tank launches.

It can flatten outside investment. It can also lead to employee turnover as teams lose faith in their leadership.

Why marketers should care and act

Some argue this is a “media problem,” but it’s absolutely a marketing problem too:

• U.S. brands can lose up to $4.7 trillion in global revenue each year due to erosion of brand trust (Edelman).
• 61% of consumers say they’d leave a brand they otherwise love. They would do this in response to a single data breach. They would also leave due to a misleading statement.
• Even digital-first companies, perceived to be more agile and transparent, aren’t immune. Misinformation spreads 6x faster on social media than factual content, according to MIT.

Debunking misinformation: incremental changes, big impact

We recognize the need to handle the issue of misinformation.

Here are a few small ways that we can all effect change.

1. Adopt healthy skepticism

If something sounds too good to be true, question it. Always verify claims with at least 2 credible sources before sharing, especially with internal teams or on branded channels.

Misinformation is not just a political issue; it’s a professional hazard.

2. Harness the pause

A single hasty tweet or unguided LinkedIn post can undo months of work. Don’t react before you think.

Before publishing, pause, think, and double-check every claim and statistic with links or citations.

Even seemingly minor missteps can snowball online, damaging brand perception for months.

3. Encourage reporting and correction

Make it easy for team members and customers to report any potential errors or misinformation.

A correction culture rebuilds credibility.

In this culture, updating or retracting claims is not just a public relations (PR) move. It is the standard operating procedure.

4. Lead with data, not drama

Audiences (and clients) increasingly value robust, linked sources over “hot takes.”

• In business-to-business (B2B) marketing, integrate direct links to source material and industry research into every campaign.
• In business-to-consumer (B2C) marketing, include direct links to reviews and data reports to enhance credibility and trust. Let transparency be your differentiator.

5. Practice radical candor (internally, too)

Trust within teams is just as critical as external trust. A transparent communication culture allows leadership to own mistakes.

This culture rewards feedback.

It has been linked to higher employee retention and stronger employer brands.

What credibility sounds like: lessons from modern newsletters

We know that every single touchpoint matters, and newsletters are an excellent way to practice credibility in action.

Be conversational, honest, and always cite your sources. This clarity helps build a loyal readership even as audiences grow more skeptical.

If “corporate speak” erodes trust, opt for clear, warm language tailored to your true audience.

Here are a few of my personal favorites on Substack.

They show credibility and authenticity. They offer value without being pushy. Nobody likes pushy.

1. Unbiased Society

Jordan Berman has built a collection of communication channels, including her podcast, that aims to be completely unbiased. This Substack is one of my favorite sources of news for this reason. It’s just the facts without the bias.

2. Strategic Pivotry

I’m proud to call Meg Scheding a friend, but that’s not why she’s on this list. I was so moved by something she published on Substack. I decided to message her out of the blue to tell her the impact it had on me. That’s how we became friends. She is consistently unapologetically herself.

3. Write • Build • Scale

I’ve included this Substack, which is the first one I paid for quickly. Why? Because their content always provides me with value.

As someone who, in the past, was hesitant to pay for content, I have no regrets. I learn something actionable every single time they post.

4. The Best Brew

I had to include my own Substack on topics like marketing, mentorship, communications, and more. I’ve always tried to practice what I’m preaching here: authenticity, value, and impartiality.

5. Restoring Credibility

This is the Substack from AmICredible. You can hear from the founder, Dan Nottingham, me, and other like-minded communicators. They believe there is a better way to engage credibly online. What’s AmICredible? You’re about to find out.

Why credibility matters in the age of AI and automation

AI content generators and bots are fundamentally changing how messages get made and delivered. But automation can’t fix human trust gaps.

According to the 2025 Edelman Barometer, only 37% of respondents trust content generated by AI tools. This is true only if the content is transparently labeled and clearly sourced.

AI gives marketers speed and scale. Yet, credibility still requires human oversight.

This includes fact-checking, transparency about sponsorship or paid promotions, and human interpretation.

Tools can help, but choosing credibility starts with each of us.

An innovative solution to our credibility problem

As we know, this is not a problem that can be solved overnight, or even in the next few months. Enabling change requires persistence, consistency, and bravery over time.

This is why I jumped at the chance to help launch AmICredible.

This application addresses the credibility challenge at an individual statement level, with both transparency and attribution sources.

This places the human at the center of solving the challenge. It gives them the latest technology to make informed choices quickly.

They assess the credibility of what they want to say before saying it. This prevents misinformation from spreading online in the first place.

As marketers, we are responsible for speaking on behalf of ourselves and our brands. It is critical that we get it right.

We have seen how brands suffer when they lose credibility.

• Stock prices tumble.
• Fans revolt.
• Sales decline.
• Employees are fired.

After all, trust is the foundation of brand loyalty, so we must do everything possible to keep it.

(Want to learn more? Meet AmICredible.)

The path ahead: marketers as stewards of trust

So, where do we go from here?

The solution is a mindset shift: see credibility not as a checklist item, but as a daily practice.

Consistent, small, thoughtful actions will help restore what’s missing from today’s conversation.

The bottom line is this. The credibility of communications is a brand’s most valuable asset, which is built by establishing trust.

For emerging and established marketers alike, now is the time to lead the restoration of trust.

This can be done one transparent, well-sourced message at a time.

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This guest blog post is written by Jennifer Best, a marketing strategist, community builder, entrepreneur, and mentor. She is leading the marketing launch of AmICredible. This AI-driven platform goes beyond fact-checking. It evaluates whether a statement is credible before it gets posted online.

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