The right voice at the right time

This is Part 2 of a blog series on personal branding from the CMA Brand Council. See Part 1 here.

Building trust through employee advocacy

At a recent CMA Peer-to-Peer Council session, marketing leaders came together to explore a timely question: “How can organizations balance executive leadership with the authentic voices of employees, subject matter experts and brand advocates?”

The discussion highlighted an important reality for today's brands: trust is built through many interactions and many voices, each bringing a different perspective and level of credibility.

This conversation aligns with broader research on trust. The 2026 Edelman Trust Barometer has consistently shown that people place significant trust in technical experts, peers and employees alongside business leaders. The implication isn't that one voice is more important than another. Rather, trust is built through a combination of voices, each contributing a unique perspective and level of credibility.

As participants discussed throughout the session, the most effective organizations are not focused on finding a single spokesperson. Instead, they create opportunities for multiple credible voices to contribute to a shared story. Leadership remains essential in providing vision and direction, while employees, experts, and advocates help bring an organization's purpose and values to life through their own experiences. 

The CMA Council discussion reinforced a simple but powerful idea: building trust is not about choosing between leadership voices and employee voices. It's about empowering the right voices at the right time. 

1. Influence is different than authority

Consumers, customers, donors and prospective employees increasingly place their trust in people they perceive as authentic, knowledgeable and relatable.

One of the strongest insights from the CMA Council discussion was that influence does not always follow organizational charts. An executive may be the most credible voice to communicate strategy and organizational direction, while a subject matter expert, frontline employee, customer or community partner may be better positioned to speak to a specific experience, issue or audience.

Trust is shaped not only by what is being communicated, but by who is communicating it. Employees bring credibility, expertise and lived experience that can make messages feel more genuine and relevant. When employees willingly share positive experiences, discuss meaningful work or advocate for an organization's mission, those messages create a different kind of connection because they are rooted in personal experience.

The organizations building the strongest brands recognize that credibility comes from a combination of expertise, authenticity and relevance. By intentionally matching the messenger to the moment, brands can ensure their messages resonate more deeply while remaining authentic and credible.

2. Employee voices humanize the brand

As organizations compete for trust, talent and attention, employee voices are playing an increasingly important role in shaping brand perception and bringing brands to life in a human way.

People want to hear from the individuals who bring an organization's purpose to life every day. Whether it is a behind-the-scenes look at a project, a reflection on a meaningful experience, or a story about impact, employee perspectives add depth and authenticity to a brand's narrative.

During our discussion, participants highlighted how employees often reach audiences that organizations cannot. When individuals add their own perspective to a piece of content or share how a company initiative connects to their own experience, the message becomes more personal and engaging. Trust often travels through personal networks, and people place significant value on recommendations and experiences shared by colleagues, peers and individuals they know.

Employee voices help bridge the gap between brand messaging and real-world experience. Importantly, the strongest advocacy emerges when people genuinely believe in an organization's purpose, feel connected to its values and are empowered to participate in ways that feel authentic to them.  

3. Empowerment requires trust and guardrails

Empowering employees does not mean eliminating structure.

Organizations still have a responsibility to protect their brand, maintain consistency, and ensure employees understand expectations. Discussion participants emphasized the importance of creating clear guardrails that help employees understand what the organization stands for, where boundaries exist and how they can confidently engage as ambassadors.

The goal is not to script every message. Rather, it is to provide enough guidance that people can express themselves authentically while remaining aligned with the organization's values and policies.

This balance between trust and accountability is increasingly important as organizations seek to attract and retain talent. Employees want to work for organizations that value their perspectives and give them opportunities to contribute. At the same time, organizations benefit when employees feel empowered to represent the brand in ways that reflect both the company and their individual personality.

When done well, employee advocacy becomes more than a marketing tactic – it becomes a reflection of culture and a visible expression of brand values.

The bottom line

The CMA Peer-to-Peer Council discussion reinforced that trust is built through a collection of experiences, perspectives and interactions that together shape how people perceive a brand.  

Organizations that create space for employees, experts, advocates and leaders to contribute to a shared brand story are often better positioned to build trust, strengthen connection and deepen engagement.

Ultimately, the goal isn't to elevate one voice over another. It's to ensure that the people best positioned to tell the story have the opportunity to do so.

Authors:
Alexandra Ungureanu, Chief Strategy Officer, XWP
Stephanie Bateman, Brand Director, Ronald McDonald House Canada