Mission North's Third Annual Brand Expectations Index Defines The New Rules of Trust

Report Finds Trust is Earned Through Accountable Leadership, Restraint, and Visible Expertise — Not Volume or Performative Visibility

NEW YORK, Feb. 26, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Mission North, a strategic communications agency for the companies shaping our future, today released its Third Annual Brand Expectations Index. The report, "The New Rules of Trust," reveals a shift in how the public evaluates corporate reputation and how brands and executives must communicate to maintain credibility and relevance.

As AI permeates business operations, the study finds that trust is now generated through a disciplined approach to accuracy, restraint, and elevating experts closest to the facts, not by bluster or blame-shifting.

Key findings from the report include:

• The AI Decision-Making Gap: AI acceptance collapses when accountability disappears. It is tolerated as a tool, but rejected as a decision-maker. While 55% of respondents are comfortable with AI being used to create communications such as marketing copy, comfort drops sharply when it is involved in critical decisions. Fifty-eight percent of the general population is not comfortable with AI making HR decisions, such as hiring or firing, suggesting that human accountability remains a high-stakes requirement.
• The AI trust penalty: Undisclosed AI executive messaging carries a measurable trust penalty; roughly 7 in 10 respondents say their trust would decline. The signal is clear — audiences accept AI tools, but even the more AI-comfortable knowledge worker audience expects leaders to remain visibly responsible for what's said in their name.
• Trust follows accountability, not amplification: Visibility alone doesn't build trust. Behavior does: Only 24% of people say frequent CEO visibility increases their trust. This doesn't mean leaders should go quiet; rather, the bar for credibility has changed. While audiences expect leaders to be in the media, trust is built through behaviors such as protecting customer data, admitting mistakes and outlining corrective actions, and listening to and responding to concerns.
• Silence as a Strategic Asset: In a crisis, accuracy beats speed, and silence is a valid tactic. Fifty-seven percent of all adults say it's better for a company to say nothing at all rather than say the wrong thing, compared to just 29% who would prefer leaders to risk saying the wrong thing. Knowledge workers are even more emphatic: 67% favor silence for leaders, while only 22% prefer that leaders speak and risk errors.
• Values and clarity build trust under pressure: When evaluating leadership behavior during times of uncertainty, respondents reward: Commitment to employees (44%); Personable, understandable communication (43%); Environmental responsibility (43%); Clear policy or legislative positions (42%); Social responsibility (42%). These attributes consistently outrank performative visibility.

"In today's AI era, leaders are facing a new kind of stress test. Audiences aren't looking for more visibility; they're asking for more intentional communication. They want to see the humans behind the technology and hear from experts closest to the work," says Tyler Perry, co-CEO of Mission North. "Our research shows that trust isn't built by being the loudest voice in the room — it's built by being the most responsible one. The most effective communicators know when to speak, when to wait, and how to own the outcome."

To download the full 2026 Brand Expectations Index and learn more about Mission North's data-driven insights for brands, visit missionnorth.com.

About Mission North
Mission North is a strategic communications agency for consequential technology companies to accelerate their market impact at every growth stage. The agency is headquartered in New York and San Francisco, with hubs in Los Angeles, Boston, Washington D.C., and Portland, Oregon. For more information, visit www.missionnorth.com.

Media Contact: Shara Seigel, Vice President, Media Strategy at Mission North - [email protected]

SOURCE Mission North