Trust is what marketeers spend their time trying to cultivate. A brand with a reputation of being trustworthy is the perfect ideal for marketers to work towards. With it, everything becomes easier – marketing becomes self-sustaining in a loop of your own reputation leading to word of mouth which leads to a better reputation.
But here’s the catch: brand trust isn’t built on messaging alone anymore. It’s built on security.
More than ever, consumers are tuning into signs that a brand takes their digital safety seriously. A single security slip-up—like a phishing attack spoofing your company’s email—can cause loyal customers to abandon ship. In fact, according to a McKinsey report, 71% of consumers say they would stop doing business with a company after a data breach.
That means marketers now play a bigger role in building and protecting digital trust than ever before.
The Overlap Between Brand Trust & Security
While security might traditionally sit with IT, it has everything to do with how your brand is perceived.
Think about it: if a customer receives a suspicious email that looks like it’s from your company (or worse, clicks on a fake link that steals their data) that directly damages your credibility. Suddenly, your carefully crafted campaigns are overshadowed by doubt and fear.
Common trust-damaging threats include:
- Phishing emails impersonating your brand. Verizon’s Data breach report shows that a staggering 90% of successful cyberattacks begin with a phishing email, making phishing the ultimate entry point for threat actors targeting businesses
- Spoofed domains that lead customers astray. Spoofed email domains are commonly used in business email compromise (BEC) scams, which have cost global organizations over $55 billion between 2013 and 2023, per the FBI.
- Data breaches that expose customer information. According to IBM’s 2025 Cost of a Data Breach Report, the average global cost of a data breach reached $4.44 million, with many breaches involving customer personally identifiable information (PII) and leading to long-term reputational damage.
These aren’t technical issues. They’re brand issues. And that’s why marketers must work hand-in-hand with security teams, not just for compliance, but for brand protection.
5 Security Tips to Build and Protect Brand Trust
Ready to put trust at the forefront of your strategy? Here are five practical security tips every marketer should know (and act on).
1. Implement Verified Mark Certificates (VMCs) for Branded Email
Ever notice those emails in your inbox that show a brand’s official logo next to the sender name? That’s no accident, it’s the result of a Verified Mark Certificate (VMC), paired with BIMI (Brand Indicators for Message Identification).
Here’s how it works:
- VMCs authenticate your brand identity and allow your logo to appear in supported email inboxes, and also show a blue verification tick to show your email is from your brand.
- It signals to customers that the email is legitimate, building trust before they even open it.
Why marketers should care:
- Increased email engagement rates
- Higher open and click-through rates
- Enhanced brand visibility and professionalism
2. Use Strong Domain Protection (DMARC, SPF, DKIM)
If you’re sending emails, you need to be using DMARC, SPF, and DKIM. These protocols work together to prevent bad actors from sending emails that appear to come from your domain.
- SPF verifies the sending server
- DKIM ensures the message hasn't been tampered with
- DMARC ties it all together and instructs email providers how to handle suspicious messages
The impact? Your customers are less likely to fall victim to phishing attacks using your brand’s name, and your email marketing maintains credibility.
3. Prioritize Secure Customer Data Practices
Let’s be honest, marketers love data. But consumers are increasingly wary about how much of it you’re asking for and what you're doing with it. So instead of casting a wide net, start thinking more intentionally.
Ask yourself: do we really need this piece of data for the campaign’s success? If the answer isn’t a strong yes, skip it.
Beyond collection, partner with IT to ensure the data you do gather is stored securely and encrypted. And when you communicate with customers - through emails, sign-up forms, or landing pages - be up front about how their information will be used. Transparency is good marketing.
4. Regularly Audit Your Digital Presence for Vulnerabilities
Your website may be the face of your brand, but it’s often the forgotten corners, like abandoned landing pages, old plugins, or outdated scripts, that pose the biggest threats.
Instead of waiting for something to break (or worse, get exploited), schedule regular checkups of your entire digital ecosystem. Look for expired SSL certificates, legacy forms still collecting data, or tools that haven’t been updated in months.
Even if you’re not technical, you can work with your dev or web team to build this into your routine. Think of it like digital hygiene, quiet, behind-the-scenes work that keeps your brand looking clean and trustworthy.
5. Educate Your Marketing Team on Cybersecurity Basics
You wouldn’t send someone to speak for your brand without media training, so why let your marketing team navigate your brands digital spaces without basic cybersecurity awareness?
Invest a little time in internal education. Help your team recognize the signs of phishing or social engineering. Make sure they know how to handle suspicious messages or customer concerns about security. And give them a clear process for what to do if something goes wrong.
Security doesn’t have to be scary or technical, it just needs to be part of your culture. When everyone on your team is equipped to spot and stop potential threats, your brand becomes more resilient and more trustworthy.
The Business Case for Marketing-Led Security Initiatives
Investing in marketing-led security isn’t just about risk prevention, it’s a business driver.
- Higher trust = higher conversions
- Trustworthy brands enjoy stronger loyalty
- Security-conscious marketing sets you apart from competitors
In crowded markets, the brands that demonstrate care and credibility win. Security is no longer a “nice to have”, it’s a key part of your brand’s value proposition.
Security as a Core Brand Value
Brand trust doesn’t come from clever taglines or sleek designs alone, it’s rooted in the customer’s sense of safety. Security isn’t just a back-end issue, it’s a front-line brand experience. Collaborate with your security teams, make these changes, and show your customers that you take their trust seriously.
Want to explore how Verified Mark Certificates can boost your brand’s email performance? Let’s talk about getting started.
