Independent validation, from journalist coverage to expert endorsement to third-party certification, now carries more weight with shoppers than it did even two years ago, while a majority say they don't take brand claims about health or sustainability at face value. What counts as credible proof looks different by category: provenance and welfare claims in food, sourcing and authenticity in drink, efficacy and safety in wellness. 

But the opportunity is the same: brands that actively earn independent validation, rather than just asserting their own claims, close the trust gap fastest. This session looks at how marketers build that credibility deliberately, and how they turn it into a genuine commercial asset rather than a defensive habit.

Category versus brand trust

Why does trust in food, drink and wellness as categories hold up while trust in individual brand claims falls, and what can marketers actively do to close that gap?

Each session takes a different stage of the journey: earning belief, owning the conversation, building the right partnerships, being found at the moment of decision, and turning all of it into commercial growth. They work as a connected story, but each stands alone. Join one, join all five.

I N T R O D U C I N G

The Earned Authority Series

A five-part series explores how food, drink and wellness brands build that authority, one driver at a time.

Credible proof claims

What does credible "proof" actually look like for different claim types (provenance, sustainability, health, efficacy), and how do you go about earning it?

Third party voices

Which third-party voices carry real weight with consumers now, and how do you build relationships with them rather than wait for them?

Credibility into confidence

How do you convert earned credibility into retail confidence, listings and measurable share, not just goodwill?

Achieving a balance

Where's the line between confident positioning and overclaiming that erodes trust under scrutiny, particularly on health and wellness claims?