Public Relations and Digital Media Strategist, Bodex Hungbo, has urged brands to prioritise credibility over viral reach, saying that visibility and influencer partnerships cannot guarantee public trust.
Hungbo, founder and chief executive of Bodex Media and convener of Bodex Social Media Hangout, said digital platforms have transformed how organisations communicate by allowing them to reach audiences directly and work with creators who have established communities.
‘A post can reach millions without passing through traditional media gatekeepers,’ she said. ‘But the same platforms also give audiences more ways to check claims, compare accounts and share experiences that challenge a company’s message.’
The ‘what I ordered versus what I got’ trend illustrates how quickly the gap between a brand’s promise and a customer’s experience can become public, Hungbo said.
‘For PR practitioners, the central question is no longer simply how to influence an audience. It is whether that influence is supported by credibility,’ she said.
Hungbo said brands can buy visibility and engineer viral moments, but trust is harder to manufacture. An organisation may attract millions of impressions and dominate online discussion without persuading people to believe its claims.
The 2025 Edelman Trust Barometer found that 80 per cent of respondents globally trust the brands they use to do what is right. The corresponding figures were 65 per cent for business, 60 per cent for non-governmental organisations, 55 per cent for media and 54 per cent for government, according to Edelman’s 2025 Brand Trust report.
Hungbo said the findings point to both an opportunity and a responsibility for brands: customers may trust the brands they use, but that confidence depends on companies keeping their promises.
She said follower counts alone should not determine whether a social media influencer is suitable for a campaign. PR practitioners should also consider the creator’s expertise, relationship with their audience, relevance to the brand and ability to communicate the message credibly.
‘A million followers do not automatically mean a million people believe the person,’ Hungbo said.
Digital platforms give organisations greater control over what they publish, but not over how audiences interpret it. Customers can respond publicly, compare claims with other sources and share experiences that conflict with official messaging.
Credibility, she said, is built over time through accurate information, consistent conduct, transparency and accountability. When a company repeatedly says one thing and does another, audiences may stop giving its messages the benefit of the doubt.
Hungbo said the pressure to produce immediate, emotional and shareable content can lead brands to chase trends and engagement at the expense of sound judgment.
Not every conversation needs to become a campaign, she said, and not every public criticism can be addressed with a statement. Companies should investigate product complaints, listen to employees raising legitimate concerns and address questions about their conduct.
‘Sometimes the right response is a better organisational decision, followed by clear communication about what has changed,’ she said.
Hungbo added that the credibility of creators becomes part of the message in paid partnerships. A partnership seen as purely transactional may generate exposure without trust, while a good fit between the creator, audience and brand can make an endorsement more persuasive.
She said PR professionals have a responsibility to ensure claims are substantiated, partnerships are appropriate and public messaging is consistent with how an organisation behaves and how customers experience it.
‘Influence may make people notice you. Credibility gives them a reason to believe you-and to listen the next time you speak,’ Hungbo said. ‘Protect your reputation and your client’s. That is the real work.’