Post-trust is the idea that people can no longer take an organization at its word. A post-trust business doesn’t fight that reality—it embraces it, building transparency into its core so that trust isn’t expected, because nothing is hidden. In this world, companies don’t ask to be believed—as everything is apparent, no secrets, no spin, just truth.
For example, when purchasing a product labelled as organic, you’re placing your trust in the seller’s claim that it is in fact organic. A post-trust business model not only claims their product is organic but also implements a transparent supply chain which allows customers to verify the claim instantly.
Traditionally, the relationship between businesses and customers has been based on trust, with customers relying on businesses to deliver products as advertised. However, numerous instances of this trust being breached have led to a decline in consumer confidence.
- Volkswagen’s “Clean Diesel” Scandal: In one of the most notorious cases of greenwashing, Volkswagen claimed their diesel engines were “clean” and had low emissions. However, in 2015, it was discovered that they had installed software in their cars to cheat emissions tests, leading to a scandal known as “Dieselgate”. The cars were found to emit up to 40 times the legal pollution limit when driven under normal conditions.
- BP’s “Beyond Petroleum” Campaign: In the early 2000s, British Petroleum (BP) launched a $200 million marketing campaign, rebranding itself as “Beyond Petroleum” and claiming a shift towards renewable energy. However, the company’s investment in renewable energy was minimal compared to its ongoing focus on oil and gas. In 2010, the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, one of the largest environmental disasters in history, further contradicted BP’s green image.
- Coca-Cola’s “PlantBottle”: In 2009, Coca-Cola introduced the “PlantBottle”, a new plastic bottle composed of 30% plant material, which they claimed was a “100% recyclable, plastic bottle made partially from plants”. However, the remaining 70% of the bottle was still traditional plastic, derived from fossil fuels. Critics argued that the company was exaggerating the environmental benefits of the bottle, distracting from the larger issue of plastic waste.
A post-trust world is where this bait-and-switch mechanism cannot occur as there is no trust mechanism between the customer and the corporation due to complete transparency and automated systems.