In this op-ed, PHD group digital director, Stephanie Cheung, argues that trust, particularly through transparent and respectful data practices, has become a measurable commercial advantage, enabling brands to command price premiums. She outlines how privacy, when treated as a customer-facing value rather than a compliance exercise, directly drives loyalty, confidence and long-term growth.
Ever noticed how two products can look identical on the shelf, yet one just feels safer to buy? Maybe it’s the brand you have always relied on, or the one that makes you feel comfortable handing over your details at checkout. That small moment of confidence is becoming one of the most powerful commercial levers in retail today.
Nearly half of Australian shoppers now say they will pay more for a brand they see as ethical and reliable, and increasingly, that reliability is not judged by what brands sell but by how responsibly they use data. According to the latest IAB Retail Report, almost 49 per cent of Australians are willing to pay more for a premium or trusted brand.
That is especially true for Gen Z and Millennials who expect transparency as much as convenience. For marketers, trust has shifted from something that is helpful to something that is clearly measurable and commercially significant.
At its core, trust is simply consumers believing a brand will do what it says it will. It rests on two foundations: competence, which is a brand’s ability to deliver consistently, and integrity, which is its ability to act in the customer’s best interest.
Roy Morgan’s Net Trust Score captures this balance by subtracting distrust from trust. The message is clear. Trust can justify a price premium, but distrust silently drains loyalty, weakens engagement and erodes long term value.
Today, data privacy sits at the heart of that judgement. Every online checkout, loyalty sign up or cookie consent pop up is a moment where a customer is effectively asking a simple question: Do I trust you with this?
Transparent and respectful data practices have become the clearest proof points of integrity. When a brand mishandles data through a breach, a confusing consent flow or a policy written for lawyers rather than humans, it signals self interest and damages confidence faster than any pricing strategy can repair.
Some brands are already proving that privacy can be a front stage differentiator. In 2019, Apple captured attention at the Consumer Electronics Show with a billboard that read, “What happens on your iPhone, stays on your iPhone.” Two years later, the company brought that stance to life through a public campaign that accompanied the rollout of App Tracking Transparency, a feature that gives people clear control over how apps track their data. But trust does not always require global fanfare. Even the Victorian Government uses simple, plain language to explain what data is collected and why.
Clarity itself builds credibility. Each of these examples shows how compliance can become communication, and communication can become trust.
For brands looking to bring privacy forward, three practical shifts can make a meaningful difference by simplifying consent by using clear, human explanations of what is collected, why it is collected and how long it is kept. This helps reduce opt outs and builds confidence. They can show outcomes, not buzzwords by demonstrating the impact of data use. Examples include quicker service, easier returns or genuinely relevant offers. Brands must be radically transparent by making privacy dashboards, consent receipts and simple updates that explain how data improved the experience as visible as a free shipping badge.
When trust drives price elasticity and privacy provides the proof, the commercial equation becomes simple. The more transparent and respectful a brand is with customer data, the more confidently it can defend or even increase prices in a competitive market.
The metrics that matter go beyond compliance. Tracking consent rates, data sharing completion, loyalty sign ups, repeat purchases and higher average selling prices among opted in customers all reveal how trust fuels commercial performance.
Privacy is not paperwork. It is proof. As consumers become more discerning, the brands that treat trust as a value driver rather than a compliance requirement will gain more than loyalty. They will earn the right to charge what that trust is worth. Now is the moment for brands to move early, communicate clearly and turn integrity into a powerful competitive advantage.
