EXPERT TIPS

Today, more than ever, trust is shaped by how people experience a company over time. Do their messages resonate? Are their actions aligned? Are they consistent when responding under pressure? Are messages aligned across channels and stakeholders?  In a fragmented media environment where messages travel at the speed of a keystroke, and context is often stripped away, trust has become both more fragile and more dynamic.

For communicators, that fundamentally reshapes what the job now demands. Building trust now requires designing messages with a keen understanding of how they will be interpreted, shared, challenged, remembered and, most importantly, experienced, often by multiple audiences at once.

Why Trust Feels More Precarious Today
Three forces are reshaping trust:

1. Audience overlap: Patients, health care professionals, employees, advocates, policy makers and investors now have access to the same messages, often simultaneously.

2. Context collapse: Messages rarely stay where you intend them to live. A quote, slide or tweet can quickly be reinterpreted outside its original setting.

3. Experience over claims: People increasingly judge credibility based on patterns of behavior, not isolated statements.
    

Trust isn’t lost because of message inaccuracy. It’s lost when messages feel misaligned, overly polished, defensive or disconnected from lived experience.

Practical Guidance for Communicators
If trust is shaped by experience, communications must be designed accordingly. Here are practical ways to operationalize that shift.

1. Design communications around the experience, not just the message.

Before finalizing language, ask yourself, What will it feel like to receive this message?
Consider tone, timing and emotional resonance and not just factual accuracy.

• Map likely reactions by audience, not just key points.

• Stress-test messages for moments of uncertainty or skepticism.

• Ensure supporting actions reinforce the message.
   

2. Assume every message will be read by multiple stakeholders.

There is no such thing as a single-audience message anymore.

• Pressure-test communications across stakeholders. What you’re communicating to investors may very well reach patients and caregivers. By nature, and situation, their goals, factual needs and emotional connections are different. Yet the message and what you stand for must be aligned.

• Remove insider language that could confuse or alienate external audiences.

• Anticipate secondary interpretations and address them proactively.
   

3. Lead with clarity, not overconfidence.

Overly confident messaging can undermine trust, especially in complex or evolving situations.

• Be explicit about what is known, unknown and still developing.

• Avoid absolute claims that may need revision later.

• Use plain language to explain complexity without oversimplifying.

• Clarity signals respect. Overconfidence signals risk.
   

4. Treat trust as a strategic asset, not a byproduct.

Trust shouldn’t be something you hope to earn after the fact. It should be intentionally built and    protected over time.

• Align communications strategy with long-term business decisions.

• Track trust indicators, not just media metrics.

• Invest in consistency of behavior, not just consistency of messaging.
   

The Opportunity for Communicators
Trust today isn’t static. Trust is cumulative. Every interaction, response and message contributes to how an organization is perceived over time.

For communicators, that’s both a challenge and an opportunity. Those who design communications with experience, interpretation and credibility in mind won’t just manage reputation. They’ll help build durable trust as a strategic advantage. In an environment where trust is fragile, organizations that earn it deliberately will stand apart.

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Michael Rinaldo is a senior health communications strategist with four decades of experience advising biopharma, medtech and health care organizations. He helps executive teams navigate reputational risk, translate complex science into clear narratives and align stakeholders around innovation and change. A former global health care practice leader, he counsels companies at the intersection of policy, science and business.