Every brand wants to be noticed, but today, visibility alone doesn’t make you the clear choice. Competitors look and sound alike. Audiences are skeptical. And trust has become the deciding factor.

At Ascent Strategic Communications, we help clients earn and sustain trust through an integrated communications strategy that includes public relations, digital marketing, brand strategy, and creative design. Our goal is to make you the clear and confident choice for your audience. Here’s how we make brand trust the outcome of every strategy we design.

1. Brand Positioning With Clarity

If your audience can’t immediately understand who you are, why you matter, and what makes you different, they won’t choose you. Clear positioning makes your brand believable and gives people confidence in your story.

How we build brand trust through brand positioning:

• Brand messaging and positioning frameworks that define your identity and differentiation
• Leadership narrative development to establish credible, authentic voices
• Audience prioritization so communications resonate with the stakeholders that matter most

Client Example: When technologist and entrepreneur Andy Wightwick asked, “What is my brand?”, Ascent helped him answer with clarity. Through our Brand Positioning Program, we defined his narrative, articulated his leadership platform, and built messaging that aligned his personal and professional identity. Our work gave Andy a clear, authentic voice that stakeholders could trust.

Read the full case study → Who Is Andy Wightwick? A Brand Defined, A Legacy in Motion.

2. Elevating Credibility With Public Relations

Visibility matters, but credibility builds trust. When respected outlets cover your story or industry leaders quote your perspective, your brand earns validation no competitor can buy. PR is the vehicle that transforms awareness into authority, and authority into trust.

How we build brand trust through Public Relations:

• Proactive media campaigns that highlight not only what you do, but why audiences can believe in you
• Executive bylines and thought leadership that establish expertise
• Media training so leaders inspire confidence in every interaction
• Reputation management that protects trust when challenges arise

Client Story: OrthoCarolina
When OrthoCarolina set out to expand access to patient care through new ambulatory surgery centers, Ascent elevated the story by positioning CEO Dr. Leo Spector as a visible, credible voice in the industry. Through targeted media outreach and executive thought leadership, Dr. Spector’s perspective on physician-led care was featured in respected healthcare publications. This earned media coverage not only highlighted OrthoCarolina’s growth strategy but reinforced its reputation as a trusted leader committed to value-based care. By amplifying his voice in the right outlets, stakeholders gained greater confidence in the organization’s vision and leadership.

3. Creating Consistency Through Digital Marketing

Trust grows when audiences see a connected, consistent story. Inconsistent messages across platforms create doubt, while aligned digital strategies build recognition and confidence. Podcasts for example, allow brands to show up consistently with authentic insights, strengthening trust over time.

How we build brand trust through digital:

• Digital strategy that blends SEO, generative optimization, content marketing, email/CRM, and Google Analytics to make your brand discoverable and trusted online
• Content calendars that keep your story aligned across PR, social, and owned channels
• Targeted paid digital campaigns that reinforce your credibility with the right audiences
• Podcast development and promotion that give your brand a consistent, authentic voice
• Analytics dashboards to measure how trust is building and where refinement is needed

Consistency In Action: Launching Maritime in America
The Offshore Service Marine Association (OMSA) is an Ascent client and already a well-known leader within U.S. maritime policy and industry circles. Launching their podcast, Maritime in America, was a natural next step to further OMSA’s mission to advocate for the American mariner. The podcast created a space where key stakeholders, from deckhands to CEO’s, could share their stories in an authentic way that resonates with new audiences and loyal followers alike. Our goal was to create a distinct look for the podcast brand that was still aligned with OMSA’s reputable brand identity as unwavering advocates of the American maritime industry for over 50 years. Learn more in this case study about how we built a multimedia platform that amplifies the people, pride, and purpose behind America’s maritime industry: Maritime in America Podcast: Charting America’s Offshore Stories

4. Strengthening Internal and External Relationships With Transparency

Trust begins on the inside. Employees, investors, and partners want clarity and honesty, especially in moments of change. Transparent communication shows integrity, builds loyalty, and ensures every audience hears the same authentic story.

How we build brand trust through transparency:

• Internal communications frameworks that align and prepare employees to be brand ambassadors
• Stakeholder engagement strategies that emphasize openness and reliability
• Crisis communications planning that safeguards credibility in high-stakes moments
• Change management communications that protect brand trust by explaining the “why”
  

For example, our team was retained by a pharmaceutical company to refine their brand voice and overarching messaging, ensuring communications were consistent and intentional. Recognizing that internal stakeholders were the primary audience, we created an employee handbook that equipped staff with core brand messages, key facts, and a unified narrative, empowering them to serve as brand ambassadors. Building on the foundation set by the executive leadership team, we translated their vision into an accessible, transparent resource for every employee, which strengthened internal alignment and reinforced brand trust from the inside out.

5. Proving Impact With Measurable Results

Trust compounds when brands deliver on their promises. Audiences believe in organizations that not only act but show the proof behind their actions. That’s why we tie communications directly to business outcomes, not just impressions.

Some ways we measure brand trust:

• Outcome-focused metrics like share of voice, sentiment, and stakeholder loyalty
• Quarterly communications audits to track impact and refine strategy 
• Ongoing counsel and execution to sustain momentum over time
• Case study development that demonstrates real-world results, embedded with tangible data

A Closer Look At Ascent’s Monthly Metrics Reports

For Ascent clients, we deliver monthly metrics reports that track performance across every channel. We track what reveals how brand trust is building with client audiences, as well as where it may be breaking down. Depending on the client, our monthly reports may look at: 

• Social Media: engagement rate, reach and impressions, follower growth, audience demographics, click-through-rate to owned content 
• YouTube: views and unique viewers, watch time and average view duration, subscriber growth, engagement, click-through-rate
• Google Analytics/Website: website traffic, source, conversion metrics, time on site, top performing content/pages
• Google Business: search impressions, actions, customer reviews, profile engagement 
• Podcasts: downloads & streams per episode, listener retention, subscriber/follower growth, audience geography & demographics, reviews & ratings
• Press Coverage: media mentions (quantity and quality), share of voice vs. competitors, outlet authority, message pull-through, sentiment & tone, backlinks/referrals from media coverage

Why Brand Trust Is the Ultimate Differentiator

Trust should be intentional.  Every public relations campaign, every digital tactic, every leadership message is either growing or hurting your trustworthiness in your audience’s eyes.  Over time, this trust creates resilience, loyalty, and market preference.

At Ascent, we design communications strategies that scale with your growth, align your story across every channel, and make trust your strongest differentiator.

Ready to rise above the noise? Let’s talk! →

FAQs

How do companies build trust with communications?
Companies build brand trust by being clear, consistent, and transparent across every channel, from PR campaigns to digital content to internal communications.

Do podcasts really help build credibility?
Yes. Podcasts give audiences a consistent, authentic voice they can rely on, which deepens trust over time and strengthens thought leadership.

How can public relations increase brand trust?
Public relations builds brand trust by securing credible third-party validation through earned media coverage, executive bylines, and thought leadership opportunities. These ultimately inform Generative Engine Optimization (GEO), ensuring you are coming up in AI-based searches, too. 

How do you measure brand trust in communications?
Trust can be measured with outcomes like brand sentiment, stakeholder loyalty, share of voice, and audience engagement quality, not just impressions or clicks.