Integrity and engagement are the most important factors in building trust

And finally, from the Edelman Trust Monitor 2014, the top 2 factors which build trust in an organisation are integrity and engagement.

• Integrity consists of being ethical, acting responsibly in a crisis and being transparent and open.
• Engagement includes listening to customers, treating employees well, putting customers before profits and communicating often.

What is more relevant perhaps is the massive gap that the respondents to the monitor see between the importance of these factors and the actual performance of the organisations they relate to. So if we relate this to Ryanair for example, viewed as one of the Damascene brands in their current re-positioning, (prompted by shareholders being hit where it hurts) it will be very interesting to see just how long it takes for their customers to trust that they have really changed and have customers' interests as well as profits at heart.

This blog continues to focus on the "3 Ts", transparency and fair treatment of all stakeholders as key ways to build trust.