Marketing today continues to grow as challenging as it does lucrative. We live in an era of unprecedented communication. There are more opportunities for businesses to connect with consumers than ever before, but the approach must set you apart from competitors and be authentic, or it will fail.

 A Pew Research Center survey indicates that when it comes to Americans’ trust in their country and fellow citizens, younger adults ages 18 to 29 stand out for their low levels of trust compared to older generations.

Around three-quarters (73%) of U.S. adults under 30 believe people “just look out for themselves” most of the time. A similar share (71%) say most people “would try to take advantage of you if they got a chance.” Plus, six-in-ten say most people “can’t be trusted.” Across all three of these questions, adults under 30 are significantly more likely than their older counterparts to take a pessimistic view of their fellow Americans.

This age group of low-trust Americans are the future customers and users of your developing business. To stay relevant in the long-term, marketers will have to break through the defensive psychological barriers of mistrust they have erected. To do so, look to the developing shifts taking place in policies and marketing strategies that leading businesses are adopting.

Privacy & Permission

In the past few years, business after business have been held up as examples of what not to do when it comes to managing the privacy of the American people. The Facebook Cambridge Analytica data scandal, Apple Siri voice recordings of consumers, and YouTube targeting children personally to serve them ads are just a few high profile examples you may remember.

The conversation about the need for more privacy protections for consumers has reached a fever pitch time and again. The demand for privacy forward organizations will only continue to grow as the big data industry develops into an estimated worth of $103 billion in 2027, according to a forecast by Statista.

In the face of regulatory changes, like the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), companies are now more than ever being held to a higher standard of accountability when it comes to getting consumer permission to use data in any way.

Incorporating clear and easy to digest privacy policies that are aimed toward the best interests of consumers will resonate best with this low-trust audience that’s becoming increasingly selective about which companies they entrust with their information.

Truth & Transparency

To earn the trust of an audience that has been previously hurt or has witnessed a breach of trust by companies, you’ll have to get back to basics about telling the truth.

Address key elements about your business that you believe young Americans will want to know about head-on. Explain why things are the way they are instead of trying to hide anything that will come out later as a perceived betrayal. If something currently in place isn’t working, it might be time to change things up so that they won’t interfere with customer acquisition.

“Just tell the truth. Don’t worry about the outcome. People respect that.” — Mad Men

Be truthful with your customers about what your company does and why you do the things you do that concern them. This includes instances of communicating bad news professionally when necessary. Engaging with your target audience directly will allow you to build a valuable rapport with them that will help shape an authentic perception of your brand’s trustworthiness.

Social & Political Advocacy

2017 research from Edelman found that young people want to hear from brands. “The majority of Millennials (60%) are belief-driven buyers,” the poll found. “People want brands to take stands on important issues,” a recent poll of 1,000 American consumers from Sprout Social found. “Two-thirds of consumers (66%) say it’s important for brands to take public stands on social and political issues.”

Athletic brand Nike is an ideal example of a business with a history of success in advocacy. Last year saw Nike’s Labor Day ad campaign go viral because it featured Colin Kaepernick, a former professional football player who’s now a political activist raising awareness of police brutality against African-Americans. The campaign garnered worldwide publicity for the company and secured its position with the young, liberal-leaning urban dwellers it targets to drive sales.

Other companies have started to follow suit to take politically charged positions in their marketing — P&G’s Gillette published an ad campaign advocating against “toxic masculinity” that also grabbed headlines.

This shift may raise expectations of business marketing standards by the younger generations being targeted. If you don’t stand up for a cause or your beliefs, you may get left behind in the years to come.

Keep Your Promises

Last but not least, build confidence in your brand by honoring the promises you make. If you tell a low-trust audience that they can expect a new product or feature by a certain date, follow through, and don’t keep moving the goalposts. Fostering trust demands that you be a reliable source of information for your key constituents.