Mass media and our most cynical memes say we live in a post-fact era. Who can we trust—and how do our users invest their trust? Without addressing those challenges, marketing falls flat. Expert opinions are a thing of the past; we favor user reviews from “people like us” whether we’re planning a meal or prioritizing a newsfeed. But as our filter bubbles burst, consumers and citizens alike turn inward for the truth. By designing for empowerment, the smartest organizations meet them there. Empower your audience to earn their trust. Presenting a new strategy for content and design that addresses empowerment, Margot will share examples from retail, publishing, government, and other industries to detail what you can do to meet unprecedented problems in information consumption. Learn how voice, volume, and vulnerability can inform your design and content strategy to earn the trust of your users, build their confidence, and strengthen your brand. Embracing a new strategy, your work can drive something even more important: hope. Delivered as a keynote to OmnichannelX 2020, #OmniXConf, in Amsterdam and virtually by Margot Bloomstein, @mbloomstein. (c) 2020 Margot Bloomstein.

1. 1 • @mbloomstein
@omnixconf #omnixconf
Sponsored by
Platinum
Gold
Silver
Associate
governance systems
content design
Transforming your brand
into a trusted source
Margot Bloomstein
President
Appropriate, Inc.
@mbloomstein

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Universalis Cosmographia, Martin Waldseemüller, 1507

3. 3 • @mbloomstein
Universalis Cosmographia, Martin Waldseemüller, 1507

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Where does authority
come from?

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“I’m here, you’re not, let me tell you about it.”

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“I’m here, you’re not, let me tell you about it.”
6 • #aeasf • @mbloomstein
360 With Anderson Cooper © CNN

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“I’m here, you’re not, let me tell you about it.”
Ugly Delicious © Netflix

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Parts Unknown © CNN
“I’m here, you’re not, let me tell you about it.”

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Inconsistency and irrelevance erode authority—
and stoke cynicism.

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For better or worse,
our internal truths trump external facts

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©Sam Morrison / www.presidentflopflops.com

14. Inconsistency erodes our ability to evaluate and trust.

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63% of the general population finds it difficult
to differentiate between real and fake news.
Source: 2018 Edelman Trust Barometer

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This is our problem.

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This is our problem—and opportunity.

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Empowerment builds trust

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To regain your audience’s trust,
empower them with useful, usable content

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Voice
Volume
Vulnerability

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Voice

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© Mailchimp Voice and Tone Principles, October 2019, Erin Crews

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Voice
Volume

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Users can appreciate slow experiences.
they’re engaged,
anticipating,
creating memories.

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©Yunghi Kim, Contact Press

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Voice
Volume
Vulnerability

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(cc) Dru Bloomfield

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36. COOK’S ILLUSTRATED EXAMPLE

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ADD OUTSIDE YOUR BUBBLE

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Your brand is at its most vulnerable when
you just screwed up.
You face the greatest risk in the aftermath:
Do you double down on defeat,
or do you embrace opportunity?

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© Antsy Labs

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• Communicate quickly; update if necessary
• Take responsibility (in the first-person)
• Accurately and completely explain errors
• Detail what you will do resolve the issue

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https://blog.zoom.us/wordpress/2020/04/01/a-message-to-our-users/

43. 43 • @mbloomstein
https://blog.zoom.us/wordpress/2020/04/01/a-message-to-our-users/

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https://blog.zoom.us/wordpress/2020/04/01/a-message-to-our-users/

45. 45 • @mbloomstein
Earn trust by offering a consistent voice,
the right volume of detail, and growth
through vulnerability.
Empower your audience and you’ll rebuild
their confidence in themselves, your brand,
and the world.

46. Margot Bloomstein
@mbloomstein
margot@appropriateinc.com
TRUSTWORTHY BOOK COMING MARCH 2021
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THANK YOU