Today’s customers are more empowered and informed than ever before, but with great power comes great responsibility. However, it seems consumers are relishing this newfound responsibility and using it for good, not evil. Brands seeking to build lasting, authentic relationships with consumers are now being pushed to be more transparent and more socially conscious with every aspect of their business; as empowered customers don’t just want a product – they want a brand story they can be a part of and proud to share in. And to truly feel an affinity with a brand, that brand must provide transparency.

This new era of brand transparency goes beyond small start-ups or socially minded brands.  McDonald’s, one of the biggest global brands in existence, ran the ‘Our food. Your Questions’ campaign in a direct bid to increase transparency. By answering consumers’ questions, sharing footage from processing plants and dispelling rumours around their products, McDonalds provided reassurance and confidence to consumers about not just the product they were getting but the integrity of the McDonalds’ brand itself.

It is not surprising that McDonalds used transparency as a marketing tactic, given the findings of the Label Insight Food Revolution Study conducted this year which found 94% of consumers believe transparency from food brands and manufacturers is important. However, the move towards increased brand transparency has continued to strengthen and goes beyond a single campaign or promotion, as ran by McDonalds. US bakery chain Panera Bread was the first major chain to voluntarily display calories on all its menu items (since 2010), and has embraced transparency across all levels of its business: eliminating all artificial additives by this year, providing a ‘Transparent Menu’, a commitment to animal welfare and antibiotic free meats, and even reporting on their energy usage and sourcing.

Beyond the food sector, brands that are truly looking to garner the trust of consumers have now emerged; building their entire brands on deep-seated transparency. Retail clothing brands such as Patagonia and Everlane have taken brand transparency to new levels, sharing locations and details of all their factories and even providing the actual costs of the materials and labour of each garment. This level of transparency builds enormous trust and helps consumers truly connect and identify with the brand story and ethos, turning consumers into brand advocates.

As the move to a world of constant connectivity continues, where any fact can be checked or question answered at any time from the palm of your hand, consumers’ appetites for on-demand information and knowledge look set to turn brand transparency into less of a ‘trend’ than a new necessity.

Written by Jackie