Following her participation as a panel speaker at the recent Communicate forum on trust and the GCC’s return to business normality, Gita Ghaemmaghami, Leader Communications and PR, LIXIL IMEA, shares her perspective on reputation, leadership, AI, and the future of communications. As brands navigate an era defined by AI-generated content, heightened consumer scrutiny, and declining confidence in institutions, the ability to build and protect trust has become one of the most critical challenges facing communications leaders today. In an interview with Communicate, she discusses why trust can no longer be treated as a communications outcome but as a business imperative.
Everyone talks about trust. Few brands earn it. What’s the biggest misconception marketers still have about building trust?
“Trust is no longer a communications KPI; it is a business strategy.” The biggest misconception is that trust can be created through communications alone. It cannot. Communications amplify trust, but it cannot build it.
Trust is earned through consistent actions, how a brand or company responds when something goes wrong, how it treats its customers, how transparent it is, and whether it delivers on its promises. Every customer interaction either strengthens or weakens reputation. Communications creates expectations; the organization has to fulfill them.
Communications has traditionally been seen as marketing’s supporting act. Has it finally earned a seat at the strategy table?
Absolutely, and it had to. Today’s business environment is far more complex than it was a decade ago. Reputation is influenced by employees, customers, regulators, investors, and online communities simultaneously. Communications is no longer about telling the story after decisions are made; it helps shape those decisions by bringing stakeholder insight, reputation considerations and business context to the leadership table.
Blitz Round:
Brand or performance?
Brand. Strong brands make performance more sustainable.Fame or trust?
Trust. Fame creates awareness; trust creates loyalty.Reach or relevance?
Relevance. The right audience always matters more than the biggest audience.AI or intuition?
Both. AI informs decisions; human judgement makes them.Earned or paid?
Earned. It carries credibility that money alone cannot buy.One marketing buzzword you’d retire tomorrow?
Authenticity. If you have to keep saying you’re authentic, you’re probably not demonstrating it.One consumer trend everyone’s overhyping?
That every consumer wants constant engagement with brands. Most people simply want brands to make their lives easier.The brands that will win the next decade are the ones that deliver on their promises consistently, communicate transparently, and earn trust long before they ask for loyalty.
Reputation used to be built through campaigns. Today it’s built through every customer interaction. Has PR become everyone’s job?
I believe reputation belongs to the entire organization. Communications provides the strategy and messaging, but customers experience the brand through sales teams, customer service, and leadership. A single interaction often has more influence on trust than a multi-million-dollar campaign. Reputation isn’t built when a campaign launches; it’s built every time someone experiences your brand.
AI is making it easier than ever to create content. Is it also making it harder to create credibility?
AI has made content creation faster, but credibility still comes from human judgement. As audiences become more aware of AI-generated content, trust will increasingly depend on transparency, expertise, and authenticity. Technology can accelerate communication, but it cannot replace accountability. The brands that will stand out are those using AI to enhance human creativity, not replace it.
Consumers have become harder to impress and easier to lose. What’s changed most in the way brands have to earn attention?
Consumers have become remarkably efficient at filtering noise. They expect relevance, honesty, and value. Attention is no longer won through interruption; it is earned through consistency, usefulness, and meaningful experiences.
You’ve worked across the Middle East, Africa, and India. What’s one thing GCC marketers understand better than many other markets, and what’s one thing they’re still getting wrong?
The GCC understands ambition. Brands here are willing to invest in innovation, partnerships, and long-term positioning. Where there is still room to grow is recognizing that reputation cannot be accelerated at the same pace as growth. Trust is built over time through consistency, transparency and delivering on commitments, not simply through bigger campaigns or larger media investments.
