How to harness the value of trust — with Matt Bourn and James Best

2026-02-02

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This month, advertising industry trade bodies the IPA, Isba and the Advertising Association are spending a great deal of combined energy highlighting the issue of trust.That includes at the annual LEAD conference, which takes place this Thursday, and in a report released last week by the IPA that found trust-building ad campaigns improve business outcomes.Trust is what drives consumers to purchase goods and services from one brand over another; to give their attention to one media channel over another. And in a world of AI slop, misinformation, and...

This month, advertising industry trade bodies the IPA, Isba and the Advertising Association are spending a great deal of combined energy highlighting the issue of trust.

That includes at the annual LEAD conference, which takes place this Thursday, and in a report released last week by the IPA that found trust-building ad campaigns improve business outcomes.

Trust is what drives consumers to purchase goods and services from one brand over another; to give their attention to one media channel over another. And in a world of AI slop, misinformation, and falling trust in traditional institutions — a world in which trust is increasingly at a premium — it’s no surprise that the issue has been a core topic among executives in recent months, particularly those leading media channels like publishing and audio.

Matt Bourn is the communications director at the Advertising Association. James Best is chair of the Committees of Advertising Practice (CAP) and Credos, the Advertising Association’s think tank.

On February 3rd, the duo are releasing a new book, published by Kogan Page, titled Trusted Advertising – How to harness the value of trust in your brand.

Bourn and Best joined The Media Leader to discuss takeaways the book, whether advertisers are sufficiently valuing trusted media channels, and what they can do to better build trust in their brands.

Highlights:

7:37: How the dynamics of trust have changed in the 21st century

15:27: Understanding the public's trust in the advertising industry and trust in individual ads

22:40: The business case for trust

28:18: The tricky phenomenon of trust in influencers

34:01: The AI issue: More slop, but also more monitoring

36:56: What makes a trusted advertising campaign? Media choice, creative, measuring trust as a KPI

Related articles:

Trust-building ad campaigns improve business outcomes, IPA research finds

Bauer Media Advertising MD Simon Kilby: We’re in a world that needs to start supporting trusted environments

Why quality pays: the power of trusted editorial in media planning – PPA Magnetic and The Media Leader

Does trust matter in media?