As a new bottled water brand on an already crowded shelf, education is essential for creating brand trust. Watch Industry Voices: Spotlight on CPG with Nirvana Water Sciences’ marketing director Alex Matos to hear how the brand’s marketing hinges on teaching the benefits of its infused spring water to prospective consumers.

On today's episode, we discuss how the pandemic changed the car buying customer journey and what BMW's digital experience is trying to achieve. We then talk about why online-only brands might need to do more to earn customers' trust, whether people want more—or less—human interaction when shopping, and what eBay's latest move says about the future of the retailer. Tune in to the discussion with general manager at Autogermana Andrés Fuse, eMarketer senior analyst Matteo Ceurvels, and analyst at Insider Intelligence Blake Droesch.

Gen Z doesn’t trust brands with its data

Companies and brands hoping to win Gen Z’s loyalty and patronage must first overcome their significant trust issues. Just 42% of Gen Z said that they trust companies. This was lower than millennials (50%), though trust has fallen among both groups since 2018 (Salesforce). Only 48% of Gen Zers worldwide thought businesses were having a positive impact on society (Deloitte).

Generation Z—which includes children, teens, and young adults born between 1997 and 2012—is the most racially, ethnically, and sexually diverse generation in history. As this cohort matures into a unique and powerful consumer bloc, brands hoping to win over Gen Zers must understand how they grew up, what they believe in, and what makes them tick.

Consumers are frustrated by intrusive or invasive ad experiences, and they’re concerned about how advertisers use their data. Here’s how consumers perceive their ad experiences across media channels, how they avoid ads, and how brands, advertisers, and publishers are responding.

Digital trust—the confidence that bank customers have in their providers’ digital channels—is a precious commodity for banks. As competitive and cybersecurity threats abound, trust will be their advantage to lose.

In yet another sign that online reviews can make or break the path to purchase, June 2019 research from Trustpilot found that consumers would lose trust in a brand not only if they saw negative reviews—but also if the brand went one step further and deleted them.

Sonika Malhotra, co-founder and global brand director of Love Beauty and Planet, speaks with eMarketer vice president of business development Marissa Coslov about the beauty brand’s marketing priorities, from building trust with its customers to making sustainability accessible.

eMarketer principal analyst Mark Dolliver, junior analyst Blake Droesch and vice president of content studio Paul Verna discuss if people are falling back in love with their TVs, if online video dating will work, why we can't (yet) trust the internet, brands building goodwill during the pandemic, the un-college movement, what the average person looks like and more.

eMarketer senior analyst Paul Briggs, principal analyst Mark Dolliver and senior analyst Bill Fisher discuss how trust in the media is changing in the US, UK and Canada. They then talk about brands repurposing sports budgets, the English Premier League considering a direct-to-consumer streaming service and how advertisers' messaging tone differs between countries.

Brand trust is no longer just about the quality and functionality of products; brands now have an obligation to prove that they are gathering customer data wisely. Acxiom shares four ways for marketers to build data trust.

Gustavson Brand Trust Index. Interac. JD Supra. Moneris. NFC Times. Statistics Canada. Payments Canada. Worldpay.

The actions of brands during a crisis can make or break long-term relationships with consumers, according to the “2020 Edelman Trust Barometer Special Report: Trust and the Coronavirus.”