Trustworthy

"At long last, someone has exposed the truth about brands! Margot Bloomstein deftly reveals how branding must go beyond the infinite power grab for profits and begin to behave bravely in order to improve the world. In smart, elegant prose, Bloomstein explores how the responsibility of the corporation has evolved, and what it takes to create genuine trust between citizens and the companies they invite into their lives." -Debbie Millman, Host, Design Matters; Editorial Director, Print magazine; Chair, Masters in Branding, School of Visual Arts "We live in a time where cynicism reigns. This book shines a light for those who want to build companies and brands that are honest, optimistic, enduring, and able to contribute real value to the world." -Khoi Vinh Senior, Director of Design, Adobe "Trustworthy brings together a cornucopia of real-life case studies and presents concrete examples of how to beat cynicism and build trust. It should be required reading for anyone interested in building a deeper, lasting rapport with their customers or audience." -Christopher Strebel, Manager, Digital Content Experience, World Health Organization "Compassionate experience design sits squarely at the intersection of vulnerability, candor, and humility, and Trustworthy deftly delivers the roadmap to get you there." -Kara DeFrias, Director of Experience Design, Obama White House "Trustworthy is more than a simple how-to for developing trust and establishing strong relationships with clients and audiences-it goes beyond this by illustrating why it is important to do these things. If you're trying to develop deeper and more meaningful engagements, read this book." -Eduardo Ortiz, CEO, Coforma "Margot Bloomstein offers us not just direction for creating transactional trust, but also a model that will prompt brands and organizations to become a beacon of believability by putting forward their authentic values, most charismatic attributes, and unique characteristics. There's hardly an organization out there that wouldn't benefit from the guidance in this book." -Kate O'Neill, author of Tech Humanist; founder and CEO of KO Insights

Margot Bloomstein is one of the leading voices in the content strategy industry. She's the author of Content Strategy at Work: Real-World Stories to Strengthen Every Interactive Project and the principal of Appropriate, Inc., a brand and content strategy consultancy based in Boston. For more than twenty years, Bloomstein has led workshops, keynoted conferences, and advised marketing teams around the world. She developed the popular message architecture-driven approach to content strategy and created BrandSort, a tool embraced by consultancies to help their clients clarify their communication goals. Bloomstein shaped the communication of corporate social responsibility at Timberland, crisis response at Harvard University, and cultural tourism in the state of Nevada. Her clients also include the American Montessori Society, Fidelity, Lovehoney, Scholastic, Sallie Mae, Pitney Bowes, and the Rhode Island School of Design. A participant in the inaugural Content Strategy Consortium and featured speaker at SXSW, Margot Bloomstein keynoted World Interaction Design Day, Content Strategy Forum Frankfurt, and OmnichannelX. She advises Women Talk Design, a platform for speakers in design, and teaches in the graduate program at FH Joanneum University in Graz, Austria. She brings her trademark blend of insight and encouragement to guest lecture in business, design, and humanities programs, sparking students to embrace a more thoughtful vision of their role in the broader industry. www.appropriateinc.com