PwC

How Brands Can Build Customer Trust Amid AI

The Drum polled its membership for industry perspectives on the role of trust in modern marketing as AI agents, privacy regulation and first-party data strategies reshape customer relationships. Multiple marketing leaders argue trust cannot be manufactured by campaigns; it must be earned through product quality, consistent customer experience, aligned incentives, transparency, human fallback from automated systems, and credible third-party validation. Contributors cite examples of trusted brands (Beauty Pie, REI, Notion, Monzo, Octopus Energy) and highlight tactics such as customer stories, digital PR and localised messaging. Several speakers warn that handing customer service wholly to AI without easy human escalation erodes trust, while agentic search and AI assistants shift where and how trust is formed.

Marriott turns hotel rooms into shoppable showrooms

Marriott has launched Design Shop, an e-commerce arm of its Bonvoy Boutiques retail operation that sells the same furniture, decor and linens used in its hotels. The initiative uses destination-specific collections (for example W Hotels Living and a French Riviera collection) and is promoted via hotel-specific digital channels, in-room TV ads with shoppable QR codes, in-room postcards, invoice URLs, Instagram and email outreach to rewards members (who can pay with points). Marriott reports Design Shop orders are generating four times the average order volumes and twice as many units per order as the site average. The move reflects a broader trend of hospitality brands blurring retail and travel, and Marriott plans further curated drops and seasonal collections tied to specific properties.

Health and AI Reshape Consumer Behavior

A PwC study reported by Retail-News (31 July 2026) finds that health and technology increasingly shape consumer purchasing decisions in Germany. The research identifies generational differences—Generation Z rates its own health more critically and reports more mental health and sleep issues—making younger consumers a central target for health solutions. Price-performance, transparency and ease of use remain key purchase drivers for health products. Digital solutions, including AI tools, wearables and health apps, are gaining importance: more than half of AI-tool users first consult these applications for health questions, though wearables and apps are not always used regularly. Trust and provider credibility strongly influence willingness to share health data. The report concludes the global wellness market is expanding but success depends on practical, trustworthy digital offerings.