Trusted Advertising: How to Harness the Value of Trust in Your Brand

Strengthen your advertising strategy by learning how to develop, protect and apply brand trust in an evolving media landscape.

Trusted Advertising is a practical guide for mid-career marketers, agency professionals and brand leaders who want to build credibility, apply evidence-based principles and deliver campaigns that drive long-term consumer trust. As advertising faces declining confidence and rising complexity, this book provides a roadmap to optimize creative effectiveness and improve decision making across channels.

Drawing on the latest research and insights from organizations including Google, WPP and the Advertising Standards Authority, authors Matt Bourn and James Best outline how trust is created, measured and maintained in modern advertising ecosystems. Through detailed chapters, actionable tools and real-world examples from McDonald’s, Tesco, Specsavers and more, the book shows how trusted communication can elevate campaign performance and strengthen brand equity.

You’ll learn how to:
- Apply trust-building principles to improve creative strategy and execution
- Implement frameworks for managing trust across media, platforms and influencer partnerships
- Develop strategies to optimize campaign transparency, consistency and audience engagement
- Understand the role of Gen AI, tech platforms and regulation in shaping trusted advertising
- Use real-world case examples to guide decision making and strengthen professional credibility

With a blend of strategic insight and hands-on guidance, Trusted Advertising helps you develop the skills and confidence to implement campaigns that perform today and build resilient, trusted brands for the future.

Themes include: advertising strategy, brand trust, creative effectiveness, media planning, influencer marketing, AI and regulation

Matt Bourn is Director of Communications for the Advertising Association and Ad Net Zero, based in London, UK. With 25 years’ experience, previously he was Managing Director of Braben, working for companies such as Sky, Disney and Sony. He is co-author of Sustainable Advertisingalso published by Kogan Page.
James Best, based in London, UK, is Chair of the Committees of Advertising Practice and of Credos. Previously he was Chair of the Advertising Association, President of the EACA, vice-chair of the History of Advertising Trust and Visiting Professor of Advertising at Richmond International University.