Is reputation the new ROI? The evolving relationship between trust and safety and your brand

Once upon a time, a brand’s trust and safety efforts lived in the margins, centered on legal risk, content moderation policies, and damage control. It was seen as more of a back-office function than a boardroom priority. But as our world has changed, today, trust is no longer a sideline concern. It’s the main event.

In 2025, the brands winning hearts (and wallets) aren’t necessarily the loudest or the flashiest. They’re the ones earning reputations built on their real-world actions, authentic partnerships, and unwavering values. In many ways, brand reputation is becoming the ultimate ROI — a lasting asset that compounds over time.

“Trust has a number of different meanings. Trust can mean security, it can mean safety. It can mean the provision of support for wellbeing,” explains Blessing Okorougo, Global Head of Impact and Sustainability at Youth to the People.

At its core, a trust partnership is more than your typical corporate alliance or a tick-box collaboration. It’s a relationship rooted in humility, integrity, and the willingness to learn. As Blessing explains, trust can mean many things, but in practice, it’s about how you work with others, not just who you work with.

“When we’re working in trust partnerships,” she says, “we’re thinking about the integrity of those relationships — working with people who bring diverse perspectives and lived experience, and acknowledging that we’re not always the experts in the room.”

A true trust-based approach, she adds, means being transparent about where you’ve been, where you’re going, and why you’re committed to the issue at hand. “It’s an opportunity to open up a level of humility. To say: we’re open to learning, open to engaging with your knowledge. We’re here to build something that protects the safety and wellbeing of our communities, together.”

Research by Sprout Social shows that consumers are actively seeking transparency and honesty from the brands they engage with, especially in partnerships and influencer campaigns. When brands and their partners are transparent about their values and motivations, it builds trust and makes the brand more believable to consumers.

Trust, Blessing argues, is the foundation of loyalty, advocacy, and long-term brand equity, and brands that truly invest in it are finding themselves miles ahead.

Research by Prophet demonstrates that brand equity, driven by reputation and consumer perception, has a measurable impact on stock returns, nearly matching the influence of accounting ROI. In one study, brand equity’s effect on stock return was about 70% that of accounting ROI, and in another, it was nearly equal (23 vs. 25 on a comparative scale).

Additional studies show that when customers feel connected to a brand, 57% will increase their spending, and 76% will choose that brand over competitors, highlighting the tangible financial impact of strong brand relationships.

Why trust is no longer just about compliance

Historically, trust and safety operated on a defensive playbook. The goal was to avoid lawsuits, manage content, and protect company assets. Now, that’s table stakes. The real opportunity is offensive: building trust proactively to deepen consumer relationships.

For Blessing, the real litmus test of brand trust isn’t the size of a donation or the production value of a campaign; it’s consistency. “We talk about this a lot,” she says. “Virtue signalling, being performative — those things erode trust. What matters most is whether you show up every day, not just when the spotlight’s on.”

She points to the skincare brand Youth to the People, a subsidiary of L’Oreal, as an example of a brand that gets it right. “If you’re only just showing up in reaction to an issue — or just for a marketing opportunity that’s not enough. For the historically marginalized communities that the brand aims to support, the issues faced are 365 days a year. To avoid simply marketing support you need to demonstrate an understanding that to achieve meaningful change you must invest long term. We’re cultivating relationships and enshrining a sense of community in our efforts.”

That daily commitment shows up across everything from how the brand engages with the LGBTQIA+ community and communities of color, to how it thinks about sustainability and sourcing. But Blessing is also honest about the complexity of these challenges. “There’s no panacea,” she says. “We’re not making absolute claims like ‘we’re 100% carbon neutral’ or ‘we’re entirely recyclable.’ Sustainability is nuanced. It’s constantly evolving. There are new regulations, shifting policies, even confusion for consumers about what to recycle and how.”

Instead of sweeping statements, Youth to the People leads with transparency and an internal culture of reflection. “They’re always asking: how can we be better? How do we talk about issues in a meaningful way and support our consumers? How do we use our platform, our marketing, our product to center social and environmental responsibility?”

For Blessing, trust is a day-to-day discipline that’s embedded not only in outward messaging, but in internal conversations. “It’s never just ‘we’re focusing on marketing.’ I’m always in the room to ask: what does this mean for people? For progress? For the planet?”

Consumers can spot greenwashing and woke washing from a mile away, she says, and they’re rewarding the brands that show up consistently, not just when it’s convenient.

Trust and Safety as a growth driver

In Blessing’s view, trust and safety are growth engines. And in the current landscape, the brands that win aren’t the ones who dominate the conversation, but the ones that contribute meaningfully to it.

“One thing I love is that [Youth to the People] supports other brands,” she says. “They didn’t start the Everybody Campaign — a movement uniting beauty and skincare brands around reproductive justice — but they showed up early, loudly, and generously for another beauty brands initiative because of a shared social mission.”

Whether through donations, co-branded messaging, or elevating the work of grassroots partners like SisterSong, the brand’s approach was all about community.

“We all care about things like our environmental footprint, sustainability, and social impact,” she adds. “And if we can be allies to the work that you’re doing, we’re going to support you first.”

That philosophy is a sharp contrast to the competitive, image-first mentality she has encountered in other organizations. “I’ve worked for companies where we had to be first for everything,” she reflects. “There was hesitation to partner because being seen as a leader meant going it alone.”

But in her view, that kind of ego-driven strategy misses the point. “Leadership is not about being first. It’s not about being biggest or the loudest. It’s not about dropping the most money. It’s just being consistent in your values and your advocacy.”

In other words, trust isn’t a race to the top; it’s a long game built on mutual respect, collective progress, and the courage to act with integrity even when no one’s watching.

Youth to the People’s reproductive justice campaign

Want proof that real-world actions speak louder than ad campaigns? Blessing highlighted Youth to the People’s response to the fall of Roe v. Wade.
Rather than issuing a brand statement, the brand partnered with SAIE (a sustainable beauty brand) and SisterSong (a grassroots reproductive justice collective) to drive real action. Youth to the People didn’t just lend its logo to the cause. It hosted conversations, raised funds, and stood in solidarity.

“They partnered and supported The Every Body Campaign… to elevate the issue of reproductive justice and support grassroots organisations,” Blessing says. “In support of bodily autonomy, we hosted a dialogue with the founders of SAIE and SisterSong to talk about what reproductive justice means and how consumers can engage in their communities.”

Rather than performative activism, the campaign was hands-on and deeply aligned with the communities the brand serves. And it reinforced Youth to the People’s reputation as a brand with backbone.

Authenticity over virtue signalling

In a world that is now saturated with algorithmically generated content and polished corporate messaging, authenticity really cuts through. A 2023 Brand Authenticity Report by Breakthrough Research found that authenticity is essential for making positive first impressions and long-term brand connections. Among Gen Z consumers, 82% say they trust brands that use real customer images in advertising, and 72% prefer companies that support social causes. The data shows that authenticity not only boosts trust but is also linked to financial performance and stronger brand communities.

For Blessing, the way a brand communicates is just as important as what it does.

“Even joining this brand, it’s been an education for me in how they speak,” she says of Youth to the People. “There’s a tone they’ve cultivated: it’s irreverent, authentic, and full of energy and spirit. It doesn’t sound like something written by ChatGPT or a Wikipedia entry.”

And that matters. When we’re confronted daily by so many press releases and pre-packaged purpose statements, consumers gravitate toward brands that sound human and honest.

“You read their messaging, and it feels like it could’ve been written by a staff member,” she says. “It’s about acknowledging systemic injustices, and being mindful of intersectionality. It’s rooted in activism, like what you see with Ben & Jerry’s. They’re not afraid to name things, such as discrimination, prejudice, inequity – even when those terms make other corporations uncomfortable.”

She’s quick to note that neutrality has its place, especially when it’s backed by meaningful action. But what she believes makes Youth to the People stand out is its willingness to speak plainly about why it gives and who it supports.

“If they’re making a donation, it’s not just because it’s Pride Month,” she says. “It’s to bring awareness to a societal issue like supporting LGBTQIA+ youth affected by classroom censorship and book bans. That’s not just a gesture; that’s caring about an issue that needs to be amplified. That’s showing up in a way that’s real, empathetic, and impactful.”

In short, authenticity is about connecting language to values, and values to action. And in that connection, trust is built.

The future of brand trust is in building true partnerships

According to Blessing, real trust is built the same way real friendships are: through mutual respect, transparency, and commitment.

She acknowledges the growing role of AI in streamlining operations, including in trust and safety, but cautions that trust itself can’t be automated. “Trust takes time,” she says. “You can’t shortcut your way to it.”

She shares how, in her own work, she’s encountered scepticism from potential partners, not because of the brand she represents, but because of what it stands for and how it shows up. “They’re not just looking at the name on the business card,” she explains. “They’re evaluating the authenticity and integrity behind the ask. If they work with me and my brand, their reputation is on the line too.”

That mutual accountability, she believes, is the foundation of next-generation trust partnerships: investing in shared values and long-term outcomes.

“Sometimes the work doesn’t lead to a shiny product or glossy public campaign,” she says. “Sometimes it’s just a conversation that opens new ideas or reshapes internal thinking. But even then, it matters. Because it’s honest, and it’s part of a longer journey of changemaking.”

Where many brands fall short, she says, is in treating partnerships like plug-and-play solutions: “There’s a problem. So they look for ‘the person’ or ‘the group’ that can fix it. It becomes about who’s popular or visible, not who’s right for the issue.”

What sets meaningful partnerships apart is intention. “It’s powerful when you can say: we chose you. We believe in your voice, your expertise. We want to build something together.”

And while donations or feature launches can be part of that story, they’re not the whole of it. “If building a product could solve these issues, we’d have done it already,” she says. “Real trust comes from shared ownership. We’re doing this together. We’re holding hands on this issue.”

That, she believes, is the future: relationships that are human, humble, and built to last.

Advice for brands wanting to build trust

Blessing offers simple advice to brands looking to bake trust and impact into their DNA from day one: tell a real story.

“Consumers get excited when there’s a strong story connected to why you’re interested in doing good and tie into what you stand for,” she says.

Youth to the People’s origin story is a perfect example, she says. Two cousins, inspired by their grandmother (an aesthetician and trailblazer), built a brand around skincare, but also around giving back. Their personal connection to issues of equity and opportunity made their advocacy authentic, not opportunistic.

“They’re opening themselves up to understanding what are systemic intersectional issues that are impacting the community around us,” she explains. “And through learning, they want to give.”

Small brands can take this to heart. You don’t need billion-dollar budgets to build credibility. You need humility, honesty, and a genuine willingness to invest in the communities you want to serve.

The brands that will win the next decade won’t just sell products. They’ll build movements. They’ll become trusted allies in their customers’ lives.

But it won’t happen through clever campaigns alone. It will happen through consistency, humility, authenticity, and a willingness to take a stand, even when it’s hard.

Reputation is long-term capital. It’s the most valuable asset a brand can own in an age where every consumer is a fact-checker, an advocate, and a critic rolled into one. Investing in it today — authentically, fearlessly, humbly — is the surest way to thrive tomorrow.