Marketing Executives Discussed Brand Trust Metrics
Industry leaders at Advertising Week examined how trust and craft influence long-term consumer retention.
Updated on Oct. 12, 2026 in Marketing
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McCann executive Tina Allan highlighted the necessity of craft and brand trust during a recent panel at Advertising Week. Data from a new Economist study underscores these priorities, revealing how B2B leaders react when companies fail to maintain consistent standards.
Why it matters
The findings emphasize that consumer trust remains fragile, as a breakdown can lead to immediate loss of professional partnerships. Companies are increasingly forced to prioritize human oversight in creative processes to prevent inaccuracies and maintain brand integrity.
A survey of 1,800 B2B leaders found that 79% have severed ties with a brand following a failure in trust. Meanwhile, McCann evaluates advertising campaigns using a seven-point scale that measures quality from damaging to platform.
The players
Tina Allan
Tina Allan is a McCann executive who previously trained as a fine artist.
McCann
McCann is a global advertising agency that employs a proprietary seven-point scale to evaluate the effectiveness and quality of its creative output.
The Economist
The Economist is a global publication that conducts B2B leadership research and maintains strict editorial oversight protocols for its content.
Bain & Company
Bain & Company is a management consulting firm that has begun integrating in-house AI agents to assist in converting reports into social media assets.
The details
McCann's approach to creative work involves a rigorous seven-point scale to ensure all output meets high internal standards. To support this, The Economist has implemented a protocol where journalists review five leadership pieces every Monday to ensure independent and accurate content.
Timeline
Every Monday, The Economist reviews the week's five leaders.
The panel discussion took place leading up to October 12, 2026.
Market Landscape
This focus on brand trust follows the trend identified in The Economist's B2B survey, which highlights a shift toward prioritizing human-led craft over pure automation. Companies are moving to integrate internal oversight to differentiate themselves as AI-generated content becomes more prevalent.
Businesses that fail to prioritize quality and trust risk losing a significant majority of their client base, according to the latest survey data. Consumers should expect firms to implement more rigorous human-review processes for marketing materials to ensure accuracy.
The takeaway
Maintaining consumer trust requires a consistent commitment to high-quality output and human oversight. Organizations can protect their brand equity by implementing structured evaluation protocols that prioritize independent judgment over automated processes.
Further reading
For more insights on current industry shifts, explore our Marketing section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by The Drum.
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