Transparency has been a marketing goal for a decade, but in 2020, the term encompasses more than being upfront with customers. It is a reflection of your brand’s ability to communicate and resonate with customers while addressing issues that are particularly relevant to them. During this global pandemic, for example, customers in self-isolation watch how brands respond before making an online purchase. If you aren’t upfront about your COVID-19 plan, they’ll find a business that is.
As we enter a new decade, we should consider what transparent marketing looks like and apply its lessons to future campaigns.
Transparency is Trust
For marketing purposes, transparency is the most effective approach to building trust in your brand. In 2020, customers are more aware — and skeptical — of marketing techniques than ever before, and they have the tools to verify whether a statement is authentic. Expressing authenticity and transparency lets customers make informed decisions. In 2020, that makes a difference to your bottom line.
Take McDonald’s as an example. While it would be disingenuous for the company to present itself as a health food chain, it has faced countless misconceptions and urban legends about its products. To counter these issues, McDonald’s embraced transparency by directly responding to public safety concerns through its “Our food. Your questions.” messaging campaign. Global branches that adopted this campaign saw corresponding increases in food quality scores and company trust within a year.
Transparency Builds Brand Relationships
Transparency didn’t make McDonald’s food healthier, but it did show that the company was listening to customers and being upfront about their issues. When any consumer can look up your competition within seconds from a smartphone, trustworthiness is a determining factor for whether they will ultimately keep shopping with you.
Customers increasingly make purchasing decisions based on whether brands are honest and authentic about their product and business practices. Over the long term, this strategy doesn’t just sell products and services — it sells a brand image that people want to be associated with. In marketing, that connection is just as important as any individual monetary transaction, but it will only be genuine if your messaging is transparent.
Transparency Shows Where Brands are Making Progress
Being transparent is a great start, but authentic brand values shouldn’t be overlooked. In a marketing context, this means that brand values are reflected not just in messaging but in your product. Tech companies learned this the hard way in recent decades — obtaining the rare earth minerals for their products often had human and environmental costs.
Today, major technology brands heavily invest in sustainable supply chains that reduce environmental impacts and better international workers. Unfortunately, these supply chains are far from perfect, which makes transparency all the more essential. Apple publishes regular sustainability reports that communicate any progress on current benchmarks. Businesses that failed to make progress often damage their brand — the video game industry is a prime example, thanks to hardware companies that depend on family-friendly messaging.
Marketing is still marketing, and at the end of the day, you’re trying to convince people to become customers. In 2020, however, transparency will be a big part of that process. By being frank about business operations — and what you’re doing to improve — you can help ensure customers are satisfied and loyal to your brand through thick and thin.