Advantages And Disadvantages Of Trust

Trust is defined as a "firm belief in the reliability, truth, or ability of someone or something" (Oxford Dictionaries 2015). It is also defined as "acceptance of the truth of a statement without evidence or investigation". Trust can exist between individuals and impersonal entities, but also between individuals and society in general. It is moderated by perceived differences in power, and can be understood as willingness to manifest the truth (David Starr-Glass 2011). Trust is the state of being responsible for someone or something (Oxford Dictionaries 2015). Marketing uses trust to attract consumers to a certain product.

Through trust, companies gain customer loyalty, which helps strengthen their brand value. Using it, however, has its disadvantages.

People are inclined to believe what they see, hear, or read without making sure it is backed by definite proof. For example, many believe that the plump, round-faced Santa Claus was first created by Coca Cola. Information is updated all the time online, and in the physical world. Until a few years back, many did not know Santa was not always plump and dressed in red. As soon as this information was discovered, it spread throughout the world. The view of the Coca Cola brand changed slightly, and some attention was drawn to it. Customers then spread the idea that Coca Cola created this image of Santa. This, however, proves to be untrue. The Public Domain Review (2015) has provided a pictorial history of Santa Claus. It shows that the image of Santa has changed gradually over time to the one that is most popular today. However, this may not have spread as quickly, as it is not as shocking, and customers are unlikely to research

Many companies use the color blue as their primary brand color. This is because blue creates a feeling of calmness and security, which in turn inspires trust (Nathalie Nahai 2012). This, however, is only valid in Western countries, as that is the percieved meaning of the color in Western culture only. In other cultures, it may be seen as provocative, or even offencive.

Research shows that young people are less likely to trust something than old people (The Guardian 2015). This is likely due to the information available nowadays. The Internet provides an almost infinite database resource. Young people are more likely to use it to research before commiting to something. Old people are more inclined to believe what they are told without checking for proof, as that is what they are used to. In this day and age, the gap between rich and poor is widening (BBC 2015) in most countries, and as such young people tend to be more