Selling the Promise, Keeping the Promise: Why Trust Defines Hospitality Brands

By Amy Colbourn, Managing Director, Business Strategist at MONOGRAM

For a long time—25 years to be exact—I have admired the Edelman Trust Barometer, an annual global survey conducted by the PR firm Edelman via its research arm, previously known as Edelman Data & Intelligence. It measures levels of trust that people worldwide place in four major societal institutions: business, government, media, and NGOs. Widely considered the industry standard, Barometer tracks public trust trends, providing a measurable way to analyze how trust shifts over time and across societies.

Edelman explicitly asserts that trust is the ultimate currency in relationships between organizations and their stakeholders. As brand marketers, we couldn’t agree more. Trust is the glue between a brand and a consumer or, in the world of hospitality, between the hotel and the guest.

According to Mintel, a May 2024 US Study on attitudes Toward Brand Loyalty found that 81% of US consumers say that if they lose trust in a brand, they usually do not shop with it again. The study goes on to say, “The story is clear: once consumer trust is lost, so is long-term revenue potential. Measuring brand health is critical in preventing such challenges.”

Trust is the most valuable amenity you offer

Regarding brands and trust, trust is the oxygen that hospitality brands breathe. Without trust, the whole experience suffocates. This is why trust is essential and should be considered an important strategic business asset, especially in hospitality. Trust has the unique ability to underpin brand credibility, consumer loyalty, and long-term value. As a strategic asset in a long game, trust can create resilience by empowering consumers to forgive and allowing brands to command premium prices.

Trust is critical to hospitality because guests buy promises before they buy experiences. Experiences, being so intangible, require a lot from a guest. Guests commit money, time, and emotional anticipation even before they arrive. It’s trust that makes them believe the promises will be kept. The entire experience depends on it, and when the expectation aligns with the promise, trust is earned.

Hospitality is personal

As hospitality marketers, we know that hospitality is a different kind of marketing from product marketing. It doesn’t come on a shelf, you can’t return it, and it isn’t sold with a list of features and benefits. After all, hospitality is personal, not transactional. A guest isn’t purchasing a bed and four walls for the night; they’re handing over their comfort, safety, peace of mind, and memorable moments, all of which require a deeper level of confidence than simply buying a product off the shelf.

Luxury hospitality thrives on the reputation earned from repeat visits and personal recommendations. The real magic is branding hospitality with real emotional value—the promise in the pursuit of trust. The thing that’s most powerful about trust is that it’s cyclical. It becomes a self-reinforcing loop:

make promises → meet an expectation → create a sense of satisfaction → generate greater perceived value → earn trust → gain loyalty → encourage repeat visitors and attract new guests

Simply stated, it’s like shampooing your hair. Wash, repeat, and get great results—consistently.

Trust turns one-time guests into brand advocates. A loyal guest doesn’t just rebook. A loyal guest will defend your brand, share your story, and happily pay premium rates because they believe in the consistency and integrity behind the name.

Making a promise (and keeping it) earns trust

Brand marketing works wonders in hospitality. It creates trust by aligning emotion, expectation, and delivery. It makes a promise that feels personal and aspirational. Then, it’s up to the guest experience to deliver on the promise because it’s only then that the promise is proven true. The trick for marketers is to ensure they acutely align the brand promise with the brand DNA, the service model, and ultimately, the experience.

Brand marketing is the handshake: it’s trust delivered with a sense of warmth and personal attention. The guest experience is the follow-through. When they match, trust becomes inevitable. Trust can be a real asset to a brand, and building trust can be a valuable marketing strategy. After all, many will argue that it is the ultimate consumer currency, including me.

If you’re interested in how your brand can earn trust through brand marketing, contact MONOGRAM today to schedule a complimentary brand consultation with our team.