Rachel O'Connor
24 Jan 2026
The 2026 Edelman Trust Barometer is a reminder that trust isn’t disappearing — it’s retreating. People are pulling inward, relying more on their local circles and less on national institutions or traditional authorities. For businesses, this isn’t a crisis so much as a recalibration.
If audiences are more insular, more anxious, and more sceptical of difference, then the job of a communicator is to meet them where they are: locally, transparently, and with a tone that acknowledges complexity rather than smoothing it over.
The organisations that will earn trust this year are the ones that show their workings, invest in long-term relationships, and act as translators between groups who no longer speak the same language. Trust brokering isn’t a slogan — it’s a discipline. And it’s now central to any credible communications strategy.
How the Trust Barometer Should Shape Your Communications Strategy
I make no bones about how much steer I put by the Edelman annual Trust Barometer. In fact it’s been the one thing, along with audience profiling and attitudes, that I’ve always leaned on to shape client’s comms strategies over many years.
What’s extraordinary to me, is how trust has tracked, seeing the decline of our trusted legacy institutions over the years, and how now people power, activism, and your tribal and local community relationships are among the most authoritative and influential places for trust.
What has remained a constant is word of mouth, and in particular Word of Relevant Mouth, those you live with, work with, and the people you listen to in everyday life – hairdresser, therapist, close friends and of course those you love.
The Trust Barometer makes one thing clear: audiences are operating from a place of heightened insularity. That means your communications strategy must shift from 'broadcasting' to 'bridging' whilst dialling up real, honest, human stories, news and anecdotes to connect and engage.
Key implications for your strategy:
1. Prioritise local credibility People trust neighbours, colleagues, and local leaders more than national institutions. Build your narratives around local messengers and lived experience.
2. Treat internal communications as a strategic channel
Employees are now among the most trusted voices. Equip them with simple, consistent storylines that reflect your values and decisions
3. Lead with clarity in moments of uncertainty
Economic anxiety is shaping how every message is received. Explain the “why” behind decisions and show the path forward
4. Broker trust across differences
In divisive moments, the most trust-building action is to encourage cooperation rather than take a side. Position your organisation as a convener, not a combatant
5. Make transparency a habit, not a tactic
People trust those who acknowledge differences and don’t pretend to have all the answers. Be open about process, trade-offs, and what you’re still working on.
This is a moment for businesses to lean into their role as stabilisers and translators. The organisations that do this well will earn trust not by being louder, but by being clearer, more grounded, and more human.