Not long ago, trust and reputation were the domain of the PR department. Marketing executives, by contrast, pushed products and brands using the classic Procter & Gamble two-step: spending huge sums to drive brand awareness and endlessly reminding consumers of the "unique selling proposition." That approach doesn't work so well now—and not just because recession, job insecurity, and hammered home values have made consumers disinclined to part with their coin. Now companies as diverse as McDonald's, Ford, and American Express are revamping their marketing to win back that most valuable of corporate asset.
