Comments on: Bank Runs “Trust Us” Ad One Day, Fails the Next http://thefinancialbrand.com/2022/a-failure-of-trust/ Ideas and insights for financial marketers. Thu, 09 Feb 2012 12:47:13 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v= By: The Financial Brand » Blog Archive » Meltdown Marketing: Ads from October http://thefinancialbrand.com/2022/a-failure-of-trust/comment-page-1/#comment-884 The Financial Brand » Blog Archive » Meltdown Marketing: Ads from October Tue, 04 Nov 2008 15:51:46 +0000 http://thefinancialbrand.com/?p=2022#comment-884 [...] run ads like this all the time. Some banks even run this kind of ad one day, then fail the next. People read this kind of stuff and roll their eyes. Why not provide more proof for the otherwise [...] [...] run ads like this all the time. Some banks even run this kind of ad one day, then fail the next. People read this kind of stuff and roll their eyes. Why not provide more proof for the otherwise [...]

]]> By: Jeffry Pilcher http://thefinancialbrand.com/2022/a-failure-of-trust/comment-page-1/#comment-530 Jeffry Pilcher Thu, 18 Sep 2008 19:45:13 +0000 http://thefinancialbrand.com/?p=2022#comment-530 Thanks for the comment Charles. "Bragging about your humility..." That's a great analogy. Thanks for the comment Charles. “Bragging about your humility…” That’s a great analogy.

]]> By: Charles H. Green http://thefinancialbrand.com/2022/a-failure-of-trust/comment-page-1/#comment-524 Charles H. Green Wed, 17 Sep 2008 15:04:23 +0000 http://thefinancialbrand.com/?p=2022#comment-524 Great post, thanks for publicizing this. I work with clients to help them improve their trustworthiness, and one of the points i always make is "don't use 'trust us' in an ad campaign," for precisely the reasons you mention. First, it's the number one blatantly trust-destroying thing you can say. Trust is largely personal, so putting it in an impersonal ad is inherently contradictory. But more deeply, trust consists largely in believing that the one you trust has your best interests at heart. If someone is advertising a trait about themselves, it inevitably looks like you're pursuing your own interests. It's like bragging about your humility; it's inherently hypocritical and self-contradictory. Worse yet--as in this case--when you get someone blatantly using it as a grasping last attempt to rescue themselves--it poisons the well for other people who might be doing all the right things to be trusted. Charles H. Green Trusted Advisor Associates Great post, thanks for publicizing this.

I work with clients to help them improve their trustworthiness, and one of the points i always make is “don’t use ‘trust us’ in an ad campaign,” for precisely the reasons you mention.

First, it’s the number one blatantly trust-destroying thing you can say. Trust is largely personal, so putting it in an impersonal ad is inherently contradictory. But more deeply, trust consists largely in believing that the one you trust has your best interests at heart. If someone is advertising a trait about themselves, it inevitably looks like you’re pursuing your own interests. It’s like bragging about your humility; it’s inherently hypocritical and self-contradictory.

Worse yet–as in this case–when you get someone blatantly using it as a grasping last attempt to rescue themselves–it poisons the well for other people who might be doing all the right things to be trusted.

Charles H. Green
Trusted Advisor Associates

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