What makes a creative campaign credible to buyers?

Check campaign claims and creative framing against the audience's understanding, not just the appeal of the idea. "Faking bad: why marketers need to maintain standards in a post-truth world" argues that clarity, authenticity and honesty are foundations for trust, and that creative storytelling must not cross into lying.

Put that principle into practice by stepping back from any idea that feels questionable. Ask what buyers already understand about the subject, what they need explained and what the campaign asks them to believe. Where understanding is missing, provide foundational explanation rather than exaggerating a product benefit. Avoid concealing negatives or using an inauthentic attention-grabbing premise: dishonesty can undermine audience confidence even without an outright false claim.

A 2026 survey by TrustRadius found that 47% of technology buyers said they trusted online resources slightly or much less than they used to, among its global network of professionals involved in an organisational software or hardware purchase during the preceding year.