The Power of Trust in Advertising and Brand Messages: How Disruptive Technologies Sneak By

The Power of Trust in Advertising and Brand Messages: How Disruptive Technologies Sneak By

In the world of advertising and brand messaging, trust plays a crucial role. Consumers are constantly bombarded with advertisements and marketing messages, making it even more important for brands to establish trust with their audience. But where does this trust come from? According to a Nielsen online survey conducted in 2013, word-of-mouth recommendations from friends and family are still the most influential source of trust. In fact, 84 percent of respondents across 58 countries agreed that recommendations from their loved ones were the most trustworthy.

This finding highlights the power of earned advertising. When someone we trust recommends a product or service, we are more likely to believe in its quality and effectiveness. It's no wonder why brands invest heavily in influencer marketing and word-of-mouth campaigns. They understand that the opinions and experiences of real people hold immense value in shaping consumer perceptions.

But what about the next big thing? How do disruptive technologies manage to sneak by established incumbents? One of the main insights from Clay Christensen's "disruptive technology" theory is that the next big thing often starts out being dismissed as a mere toy. Disruptive technologies, in their early stages, may undershoot user needs, leading many to overlook their potential.

To distinguish between disruptive toys and those that will remain insignificant, we need to look at products as processes. The speed of improvement and adaptation is a crucial factor. External forces such as the decreasing cost of microchips, the ubiquity of bandwidth, and the increasing intelligence of mobile devices play pivotal roles in driving disruptive technologies forward. As these external factors improve, so does the utility of the product.

Take Wikipedia, for example. It is a constant work in progress, edited daily by spammers, vandals, and individuals with questionable intentions. However, the collective effort of the "good guys" ensures that it consistently gets better at a faster rate. The process speed of improvement in Wikipedia surpasses the negative impact of the bad actors. As long as it continues to improve steadily, it will eventually meet and exceed user needs.

Startups that focus on sustaining technologies are unlikely to be the ones dominating the top lists in 2020. It is the disruptive technologies, the ones that are often dismissed as toys, that have the potential to shake up industries and capture market share. If a technology is truly groundbreaking and its benefits are evident, many will pay attention and try to replicate its success.