Building the Case for Brand Trust

My first article on this platform focused on city branding and the relationship between what you promise visitors and what you actually deliver. That piece of writing was about alignment in an overarching way, mainly because that work was solely done on paper. Once you move from paper to application, though, you realize that your branding can promote real-world solutions. It is a true ground zero for tourism development.

Over the past year and a half, I’ve come to believe the way you extend your brand into the physical world—not just online, not just in ads—has a powerful influence on whether people even see your messaging, let alone trust it.

Specifically, this piece is about how creating a visual vernacular—a consistent, recognizable, branded design language across signage, media, and infrastructure—can transform your city into a trusted source of information and, by extension, a place people actually want to visit.

Trust is the Problem, Not Just Awareness

Our tourism numbers have been underwhelming long before I arrived, and while we’ve pointed fingers at the usual suspects—lagging digital presence, outdated websites, an exhausted volunteer base, Colonel Mustard in the drawing room with a candlestick holder—it turns out one of the biggest issues was simpler and deeper: people don’t trust our information.

And I don’t mean “they don’t believe our events are real.” I mean they subconsciously dismiss what we say—because it doesn’t look trustworthy.

The Esoteric Side of Branding: What the Brain Sees Without You Realizing It

There’s an esoteric layer to trust that’s especially tricky because it lives in the subconscious. As marketers, we’re interfacing with people’s ids more than anything and it’s not something that’s rational or whose effects are easily measured. Unfortunately, it still has to be accounted for because it’s the emotional center that helps people discern between comfort and chaos; whether to drink from these waters or move on to more promising pastures.

They don’t know that the flyer bothers them because the fonts clash, or because the color scheme doesn’t match the city’s logo they saw last week. They just know it’s a story poorly told. At best, your information will be met with skepticism. That’s not the firm footing you’re hoping to establish, though.

Maybe the flyer looked like it was thrown together. Maybe it was. But even when it’s not, your audience can feel the difference between something cohesive and something slapdash—even if they can’t tell you why.

Visual Inconsistency Breeds Distrust

When we look back at our photos, signage, and social content, the problem’s obvious: no consistency. Photos are low quality and, worse, lack any semblance of storytelling. Flyers are missing key info or have outdated logos. Across platforms, the city hasn’t focused on a unified voice or visual identity.

And when there’s no throughline from your Instagram to your website to your town’s signage? Your audience won’t consciously say, “Oh, this isn’t branded correctly.” They’ll just scroll past. Or worse, show up in town, get lost, and leave with a bad impression that’s hard to shake because they can’t quite explain what went wrong.

Why Signs Go Invisible: The Broken Connection Between Brand and Built Environment

A lot of the work I’m doing happens concurrently. Taking this job was like inheriting an old house that’s sat vacant for years. Sometimes you hear noises in different parts of the house and the source to its solution can only be found in another. Since my first days here, I’ve heard multiple independent stories of residents saying: “Wait… we have a National Park here?” This sent me reeling. How? This isn’t some obscure feature. It’s among our biggest draws. The harder question has been, “What do I do about it?”

The issue? Again, there are a few. However, I can’t control all of them. I have to turn to design and it was time for me to start reading the signs — both literally and figuratively. The answer? The signs are there. They’re just not being seen. Not because they’re physically hidden—but because they don’t fit into a narrative someone is consciously telling. There’s no visual vernacular emanating from a single trusted source that’s easily accessible on a digital platform, information center, or pamphlet ready to be handed out.

A sign or other media using the wrong font, wrong colors, wrong tone…it might as well be invisible.

Branding as a Character—Not a Costume

Maybe it’s helpful not to think of a city’s brand as a person—people are complex—but as a character. A well-drawn, consistently dressed, easily recognized character. Think Paddington Bear. Always in the same coat and hat, no matter what city he visits or adventure he’s on. You know him when you see him.

Your city’s brand should work the same way. Online, in print, in-person—it should look and feel familiar. That’s what builds trust. It’s not about being flashy. It’s about being recognizable.

How to Extend Your Brand Into the Real World (and Why It Matters)

Now that we’ve cleaned up our visual brand—defined colors, fonts, tone—and started pushing that through social and digital channels, we can’t stop there. We must use that same system to influence physical design: signage, wayfinding, banners, and even paint colors on public assets.

Suddenly, signs pop. People notice. And more importantly, they begin to follow — to the places you want them to go and to the stories you want them to hear.

It’s Not About Budget, It’s About Storytelling

Professional design is great, but storytelling is more important. People can forgive a low-res photo if it captures something real. They can forgive simple signage if it fits the larger story.
But they can’t forgive a poorly told story. They may not even consciously know it, but it’s true. In branding, it separates success from failure.

You can do a lot with a simple formula—three colors, one font, one tone of voice—if you stick to it and use it consistently. It’s not restrictive. It’s liberating. Keep finding ways to expand it across seemingly disparate platforms. It’s a salve with healing properties.

In the End, Branding is Infrastructure

If you’re serious about revitalizing tourism—or even just helping residents feel more connected to their city—you have to think of branding as part of your infrastructure, not just your marketing.

Build a visual vernacular that lives online, in print, and in the streets. Treat your brand like a character your audience can trust. And use that trust to guide them—literally and figuratively—where you want them to go.