There is a broken piece of rope that can be found in a museum in Switzerland. It's a reminder of a tragic story of seven mountain climbers. All the climbers were joined together by a rope when one slipped and fell over the edge of a cliff dragging three other climbers with him. Moments later the three remaining climbers felt a tug on the other end of the rope. They were still there and alive....Phew! Suddenly the rope snapped and the men fell to their death.

Nobody knows why an inferior rope was used for the venture, but it is common knowledge that they did not use a genuine proven Alpine rope which is guaranteed and distinguished by a red strand running through it.

It's comforting and reassuring to know that certain products or services will faithfully and reliably deliver on their promise. If marketers can earn the trust of their customers they inevitably have created and empowered loyal brand evangelists. These customers not only return to consume with their brand of choice they rarely consider the competitions claims. They will also tell their peers about their positive brand experience. By sharing their new found discovery with those they care about, the customer hopes they too will join the tribe. Like all strong and meaningful relationships, this tribal-like belonging is built entirely on trust.

So how do you earn this type of trust?

1) Be authentic. Be real, truthful, honest and communicate from a position of strength, not over promising and under delivering.

2) Be Credible. Story is king! Communicate heritage, history and case studies with a little rigor thrown in. Weighty endorsements give great assurance to a prospective customer.

3 Identify. Showing a genuine interest in the customers world. Empathize with their feelings, their struggles and their needs. Remember a strong brand is like a friend.

4) Offer hope. There is enough doom and gloom on TV and in the media. Your brand should communicate a better world with it in it. In other words, the customers world should be perceived worse off without your brand in it.