Brand Advocacy Formation through Trust: A Study of Communication Strategies in Digital Environments

In digital software environments traditionally defined by constant updates and iterative change, communication becomes more than just delivery of information, it becomes a signal of presence to the customers. How brands speak during these moments often shapes how much users trust them, and whether that trust later translates into advocacy. While existing research has given considerable attention to communication strategies in the context of visibility and conversion, far less has been said about their longer-term effects. This study enters that space, examining how three distinct styles of informational, emotional, and interactive can influence brand trust, and whether that trust, in turn, prompts users to advocate.The study draws on a between-subjects experimental design. A total of 120 participants were randomly assigned to one of four message conditions, including a neutral control. Each participant was shown a mock software update crafted to reflect one of the communication styles. The study used Net Promoter Score, which was chosen for its simplicity and alignment with behavioural intent to measure advocacy. Findings revealed that brand trust played a pivotal role in shaping advocacy intentions. However, none of the three strategies produced significant differences in trust or advocacy when compared to the control condition. Moreover, trust did not serve as a mediator between message style and advocacy. These results challenge the assumption that message format alone can shift user behaviour in the short term. While participants may have found the messages engaging, this did not translate into measurable trust or recommendation. Rather than treating this as a failure of format, the findings suggest that trust may be less a reaction to message style and more a cumulative interpretation formed across time, tone, and consistency. Communication, then, should be assessed as less about a spark and more as sediment that is layered through repeated exposure, aligned values, and ongoing relational signals. The thesis concludes by calling for future research to go beyond single-exposure designs and explore how trust and advocacy emerge in real-time, platform-native settings. For practitioners, the message is equally clear, one message may inform, but only the long arc of communication builds trust strong enough to speak for.