Building trust and reputation in 2026

Building trust and reputation in 2026 – what can we look forward to?

Building trust and reputation is my job as a PR consultant.

But what opportunities will 2026 bring? And what are the risks?

Human communications for humans

A lot of our world is becoming machine-driven – but there’s something that we all still crave: human relationships.

Real humanity is an essential part of being a human – and I don’t believe that will ever go away.

That’s why, in spite of – or even because of – the rise of AI, 2026 won’t be just about technology.

Far from it.

I believe that trust, authentic stories, relationships, and values that we can feel are going to be more important than ever.

AI can’t feel

AI processes data brilliantly.

It can save time, but it can’t feel.

AI can’t re-create human relationships, nor tell human stories.

The more the world automates, the more we crave humanity

In 2026, trust and reputation are going to depend more than ever on authentic voices, best practice PR resulting in proper earned media, genuine partnership and values which match behaviour.

2026 will reward the organisations who behave and communicate like humans.

Here are four big opportunities (and two major risks) that I believe leaders should be preparing for now.

Opportunities to grow

1. The rise and rise of authentic human voices in the machine age.

AI is fantastic at – well, what it does. But it can’t tell human stories.

Authentic storytelling builds brand awareness and trust through interesting, memorable data.

Stories are built on emotive human statements that journalists can quote, and audiences can empathise with and learn from.

AI can’t tell human stories. It can’t feel emotions.

AI can’t recreate memories and experiences that will move audiences to empathy and action – because AI hasn’t had those experiences.

And that offers a huge opportunity for PR to demonstrate real life human insight and impact through powerful authentic storytelling that earns trust and invites understanding.

Now’s the time to boost your authentic human storytelling – but it has to be real. No AI. It’s got to be from the heart.

2. Good PR for the win.

AI loves fresh, data-backed, trustworthy content. It prioritises clear communication.

Don’t chase the algorithm – instead follow best PR practice.

According to a recent Muck Rack study, 89% of links cited by AI are from earned media, including news articles, expert commentary, and industry research. 95% of links cited aren’t paid for.

Journalists still want what they’ve always wanted – useful insights from reliable, trusted PR partners.

The best PR partners provide original, well-written, fact-checked news stories with a clear answer to the question ‘why should I care?’.

Stories should be supported by accurate, powerful quotes and high quality images, and spokespeople who are ready and willing to be interviewed.

Press notices and pitches are far from dead – they just have to be valuable, and represent real news which the audience will be interested in.

If you want your brand to show up in AI searches, you have to be seen in organic coverage. Keywords and backlinks are out.

Strong, credible, best practice PR is back.

3. Relationships rule.

Build relationships by being reliable, consistent, and genuinely attentive.

Listen more than you talk.

That’s true inside organisations as well as externally.

Internally, teams need to be aligned. Egos and siloes are out, partnership is in.

Externally, strong community and stakeholder relationships have always and will always boost reputation.

‘Managing expectations’ isn’t enough. Communities and individuals need to be involved in creating the solutions to their problems – and given the chance, they’ll often come up with the best ideas.

4. Strategic planning and crisis preparedness to boost the bottom line.

Choosing to prepare now, and plan well, can have a positive impact on an organisation’s financial performance by spotting risks and protecting trust and reputation.

Risk awareness and crisis planning is an opportunity to build communication networks, a common purpose, and decision-making processes which can make a huge difference to resilience, and boost growth down the line.

2026 is a great time to decide on the best choices for various scenarios, and put plans into place.

Two risks to watch out for.

1. Values and behaviours must match.

Refuse to tolerate a cacophony of actions, behaviours, and values that don’t match.

Organisations which say one thing, and do another, are on their way out. You can’t separate values and behaviours. If you claim to care, but treat your employees and customers unfairly, you’ll be called out for it – and trust crashes much more quickly than reputation grows.

2. Be sensitive to the varying needs and interests of different audiences.

Like it or not, the distance between generations is growing.

Unequal life chances, more individuals from each generation falling into the injustice bracket, and a growing feeling of loss of hope is contributing to a lack of shared understanding.

It’s more important than ever to be sensitive.

Tailor language, content, and channels to the wide range of sources different audiences trust and gain their information from.