Who Can You Trust?

This headline from Worthwhile hits the nail on the head. Trust is probably the single most important dimension of any brand identity--you trust Tide to get out tough dirt, and you trust Tylenol to get rid of your headache. Every brand makes a promise, and if we don't believe the brand will keep that promise, then it's as good as dead.

Enter mercenary marketing from providers like BzzAgent. This form of "viral" marketing tries to hijack the trust that exists among peer groups and their opinion leaders. Once the ruse is discovered the chain of trust is broken, and a reaction of distrust is bound to be associated with the offending brand.

Maybe I'm overreacting. I probably could have made the same argument against television advertising 50 years ago and it would have gotten me nowhere. And Dave Balter has pulled off a feat in taking BzzAgent from a simple idea in his head to a nationally known company, so the concept has some traction.

But still, trust is paramount. If brands are going to use mercenary marketing, they'd better live up to the promises being made for them.