People Trust People More than Brands (Part 1)

General Electric Company's 69th Annual Meeting in 1961

People Trust People More than Brands (Part 1)

SYNOPSIS

It should come as no surprise that we trust friends, family and peers more than we trust companies.

The same goes with our traditional advertising—according to the USA Today and numerous other studies—about nine out of ten people think advertising is a lie. Not just a flexing of the truth—but outright untruth.

Not only do people flee advertising, but those ads that they do see, they view skeptically. Or, as Forrester Research claims, advertising today has “zero effect” on persuading consumers.

The erosion of people’s trust and confidence in marketing is reflective of our society as a whole.

Step back. In the 1960s, people trusted the government, institutions and the brands they watched on nightly TV. The U.S. economy was expanding and was poised to expand some more. Nearly all working Americans were experiencing some form of increase in their standard of living.

But circa 1970s Vietnam and Watergate, collective trust in both public institutions and private enterprise began to erode. As Dylan had already declared, “Even the President must sometimes stand naked.”

The transparency was occluded during the Reagan Era, when, according to Pew Research, “Confidence in government recovered in the mid-1980s before falling again in the mid-1990s.”

Public trust reached its three-decade high shortly after the 9/11 terrorist attacks, but sank again thereafter.

This graph shows the lack of trust in the government since 1958.

Trust in brands has run a parallel track with societal high and lows. In the 1970s, consumerist Ralph Nader highlighted the faults of the Detroit auto industry, the largest in the world.

Consumers started to question brands in earnest. The first Earth Day was in 1970. The Watergate coverup was in 1973. In 1982, Johnson and Johnson recalled it’s Tylenol product due to tampering. Then came Arthur Andersen, Audi, VW, 'natural' foods, etc, etc. Soon after, consumer protection became a “thing.”

No surprise, trust in brands in the U.S. today remains below 40%.

This graph shows the percentage of people that trust brands by country...

However, the positive truth is that people (over ninety percent of them) believe their friends, friends of friends, peers and family members. Word of mouth —whether tucked into reviews, thumbs up emojis, smiley faces or starred ratings, has never been more valued. People like other people and they like to hear what other people have to say.

Here’s a survey showing that people trust their friends and ‘influencers” more than brands.

Humanity in its rawest form favors trust and cooperation—the two foundations of community building and the essence of creating markets. Trust, cooperation—and a third factor—belief, are the tent poles that stand by any meaningful brand.

When these three factors exist, we can expect to attract people—and others like them toward a thriving market. When they don’t, we don’t.

About
Joseph Perello

Joe is the founder and CEO of Props. Previously, he was the first CMO of the City of New York in the Bloomberg Administration, and was recognized by Harvard Business School as the most innovative initiative of any city. Joe founded and bootstrapped an award-winning digital ad agency. He was VP for the New York Yankees, working directly for the late George M. Steinbrenner III, and helped the team break attendance and revenue records. He was an executive with David Bowie’s internet start-up UltraStar and started his career as a direct marketer with credit card pioneer MBNA America. He’s on the board of New York Cruise Lines and Princeton Academy. Joe earned his undergraduate degree in History and Journalism from the the University of Delaware.

The Regulatory Maze Facing Financial Advertisers

For regional banks, advertising is fraught with some of the most stringent rules in marketing. Laws such as the Truth in Lending Act (TILA) and Equal Credit Opportunity Act (ECOA) require specific disclosures in promotions for loans, credit cards, and other financial products. Adding to these legal mandates, platforms like Facebook and Google impose “Special Ad Categories” for financial services, restricting the use of advanced targeting tools like lookalike audiences or detailed demographic segmentation.

The impact is clear: compliance-heavy messaging disrupts engagement, creativity is stifled, and marketing costs rise as cost-per-click (CPC) and cost-per-lead (CPL) escalate. For many regional banks, this combination of constraints makes reaching their ideal customers a frustrating and costly endeavor.

Props: A New Approach to Financial Advertising

Props offers a transformative way for regional banks to overcome these challenges through a unique combination of creator-driven storytelling, strategic paid media promotion, and robust compliance solutions. Instead of promoting financial products directly, Props shifts the focus to authentic, lifestyle-oriented stories that resonate with audiences and inspire them.

These stories are published on the bank’s website (or a special landing page) and, critically, promoted through the creators’ social media handles. Publishing lifestyle content through creators’ handles bypasses the restrictions of “Special Ad Categories,” drives more engagement and click-throughs, and unlocks advanced targeting options. This allows banks to connect with high-intent audiences more effectively while reducing costs.

For example, rather than running a traditional ad for a home equity line of credit (HELOC), Props might collaborate with a creator to share a story about how homeowners can fund renovations—building trust and engagement without triggering compliance-heavy disclosures.

The Power of Storytelling Without Compliance Overload

One of Props’ greatest advantages lies in its ability to sidestep disclosure requirements by avoiding direct product claims. Instead of advertisements laden with legal disclaimers, Props content centers on engaging narratives that educate and inspire. These stories provide value to audiences without overwhelming them, creating a cleaner, more effective path to engagement.

A creator might share how they used home equity to remodel their kitchen, illustrating a real-life application of financial tools while staying free from the burdens of compliance-heavy messaging. This approach not only eliminates the need for complex disclosures but also keeps content relatable and audience-focused, fostering trust and credibility.

Authenticity as a Competitive Edge

Audiences are more likely to trust people over brands, and Props ensures this trust by selecting creators based on their expertise and storytelling ability, not their follower count. Creators are chosen for their ability to craft genuine, relatable narratives that resonate with specific audience segments.

Whether it’s a business owner sharing entrepreneurial insights or a parent discussing family finances, Props focuses on the quality of the story rather than the creator’s popularity. By publishing these stories directly on the client’s website, Props ensures that the bank owns the engagement and benefits from first-party data collection. Paid media promotion guarantees that these stories reach the most relevant audience with precision and scale.

Ollie: Setting a New Standard in Brand Safety for Banks

Brand safety is paramount for financial institutions. Strict regulatory standards and a heightened need to maintain trust often prevent banks from collaborating with creators. Recognizing these challenges, Props developed Ollie—a proprietary AI-driven brand safety tool that ensures campaigns remain compliant, transparent, and aligned with institutional values.

Ollie reviews years of creator content history, continuously monitors posts in real-time, and flags potential risks using advanced AI. Its capabilities include detecting if a financial offer is being made or if financial advice is being given—two critical triggers that can complicate compliance for creators in regulated industries. By categorizing flagged content as low, medium, or high risk, Ollie empowers banks to avoid pitfalls while enabling creators to craft compelling yet compliant narratives.

This innovative approach ensures banks can confidently embrace creator storytelling, knowing that campaigns will uphold their values and meet regulatory standards. By bridging the gap between brand safety and creative freedom, Ollie empowers financial advertisers to connect authentically with audiences while navigating one of the most regulated industries in marketing.

Proven Results Across the Financial Industry

Props has consistently delivered impressive results for its financial clients across consumer banking, mortgage lending, credit cards, secure cards, life insurance, auto insurance, and wealth management. Props takes responsibility for delivering actual, measurable business outcomes—a key reason for its rapid growth.

A Winning Formula for CMOs of Regional Banks

For regional bank CMOs, Props offers an unparalleled opportunity to navigate advertising regulations while driving measurable results. By avoiding restrictive ad categories and using creator-led storytelling, Props enables access to advanced audience targeting tools that improve reach and engagement.

Its compliance-friendly strategies reduce advertising costs and create cleaner, more effective campaigns. With Ollie’s oversight, banks can run creative campaigns confidently, knowing that regulatory standards are being met. Props’ focus on authenticity builds trust with audiences, while its full-funnel strategy ensures seamless progression from awareness to conversion.

By leveraging paid media through creators’ handles, Props ensures that each story achieves both the reach and relevance needed to deliver measurable results. For CMOs seeking to transform their marketing strategy and connect authentically with their audience, Props offers a proven path to sustainable growth and success.

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