Research

Unlike many others in our field, our courses and services are based on reputable, peer-reviewed, academic research. We avoid hype, “common wisdom”, and groupthink. We believe that if you say or promote something, you should have verifiable evidence to back it up.

Here we post research summaries prepared by our research team, related multimedia content, and other resources on the role of trust in communications and marketing.

Some recent posts:

• Ethical Considerations in Digital Marketing: Balancing Privacy, Transparency, and Consumer Trust
  The rapid expansion of digital marketing, powered by technological advancements like AI and big data, has introduced complex ethical challenges. As businesses increasingly rely on consumer data for targeted advertising and personalization, concerns over privacy, data security, and deceptive marketing practices have grown. Consumers are becoming more vigilant about how their data is used, making
  + Read More
• Crisis Communication and Community Resilience in the Niagara Region During COVID-19
  The COVID-19 pandemic posed not only a significant health crisis but also a crisis communication challenge for governments at all levels. Municipal governments played a crucial yet often underappreciated role in crisis communication efforts, using their websites to inform, educate, and engage citizens. Effective crisis communication is essential for building community resilience, particularly during prolonged
  + Read More
• Health Canada’s Communication Effectiveness During the COVID-19 Vaccine Rollout
  The COVID-19 pandemic posed significant challenges for public health communication. Given vaccine hesitancy and the need for timely and accurate information, Health Canada issued press releases to influence public perception and media coverage. The study explores whether these communications effectively set the media agenda and promoted key public health messages. Download as a PDF (En)Français
  + Read More
• Ethical Digital Marketing: Transparency, Sustainability, and Consumer Trust
  The digital marketing landscape has undergone a transformative shift, with ethics becoming a core consideration alongside traditional performance metrics like return on investment (ROI) and audience engagement. With consumers becoming more informed, they increasingly scrutinize not just products but also the values and ethical practices of the companies behind them. Ethical digital marketing now plays
  + Read More
• Trust in Communication Research
  There is a widespread crisis of trust in social institutions, particularly in media, government, and business. While disciplines such as philosophy, sociology, and political science have extensively studied trust, communication research has not been prominently acknowledged in this discourse. The study seeks to systematically analyze the contributions of communication research to trust studies. Download as
  + Read More