Trust is no longer something organisations can quietly build over years and draw on when they need it. Today, it is made, tested and lost in real time.
That was the challenge we explored at our latest Kademy roundtable, kindly hosted by Alicia Edmonds-Smith, Senior Director of International Comms at Snap Inc.
In this follow-up interview, Alicia reflects on why the old reputation playbook is under pressure, how Snap thinks about showing up where culture actually happens and why communicators need to get closer to the communities, signals and decisions that shape trust long before they become headlines.
Alicia, you shared that trust used to be something you could build through a three-to-five-year plan, but now it can change almost daily. How has that changed your approach to trust and reputation at Snap?
I think many organisations used to see trust as something you could build over the long term with a defined plan and big moments to change hearts and minds. Earning trust over time is still totally relevant, but in today’s world trust is far more dynamic. There are sources of information everywhere, all of the time, so the idea that you can protect a long-term narrative feels outdated.
Trust is part of the minute-by-minute job and is far more defined by speed, visibility and real-world experience. A three-year strategy still matters, but it has to survive a three-hour news cycle, a three-minute TikTok and a three-sentence employee post on LinkedIn, so approaching trust as something that moves and flexes constantly feels right for today.
You talked about the need to “show up where culture lives,” from chat and comments to Reddit and creator communities. What does that mean for Snap in practice, and how has it changed the way your team listens, responds and engages?
Absolutely. Increasingly culture lives in the group chat and moves fast, so we have to jump in and be part of the conversation in a way that feels distinct from the one-way street of sharing press releases or announcing news. Our audiences are reacting, remixing and forming opinions in real time, so for our team we focus on being tapped into communities and being more native in how we show up. In practice that means listening beyond traditional media and watching for signals from creators, tastemakers and communities long before they show up in a headline.
It is all about engaging in ways that feel credible to who we are and the space we’re in, rather than blasting out content without a clear point of view for people to have a feeling about. Real discussion happens behind the scenes and credibility is built through relationship building not promotion. Showing up authentically, listening closely and empowering advocates is powerful for building trust.
Snap is often grouped under the broad “social media” umbrella, which can bring many assumptions with it. As a comms leader, how do you challenge that perception?
As with any category or sector, the role of the Comms team is to challenge assumptions and show, not tell, our audiences what makes us different. For over a decade, the term “social media” was defined by a legacy, feed-based model focused on broadcasting, performance and accumulating followers and likes. But today, culture has moved out of the feed and into conversations shared with small, trusted groups.
Our job is to remind people that Snap wasn’t pivoting into this change – we were built for it – and our core value is connection, not just attention. It is about being confident in who we are and why we exist. At a time when people are craving authenticity, safety and real friendship, that difference has never mattered more.
You made the point that Gen Z does not just want brands to give them things to consume. They want to create meaning around brands themselves. How does that shape the way Snap builds connection and community?
Gen Z is about expression, connecting with friends and making their own mark on the communities they are part of. That drives how we think about Snapchat. Connection is something people build together, so the starting point is ‘how do we give people ways to create, communicate and share meaning with each other?’
Creativity sits at the heart of this and the brands that win with Gen Z are the ones that understand how to create with them, not for them. Snap’s role is to give brands a space and tools that make it feel instinctive, playful and real. A great example is the recent JD Sports campaign on Snap that tapped into the Snap Map to connect with young people in a way that felt really natural, that was led by creators and stayed true to youth culture.
Communicators need to tailor messages for many different audiences, including users, policymakers, advertisers, creators, employees and media. How is AI helping you do that with greater efficiency and scale at Snap?
AI helps our team adapt faster and tailor messages with greater relevance and consistency across the board. It is incredibly helpful for pressure testing messaging and accounting for local nuance when managing different countries and audience segments, fast.
I think there is a massive opportunity in AI’s ability to read local cultural context, spot signals earlier and help us to respond at speed and scale from internal notes, media statements, creator briefs or policy conversations. As communication volume increases, we need help to give us space for creativity, judgement, emotional intelligence and knowing what resonates. AI serves as a powerful accelerator, freeing up headspace for genuine storytelling and ideas.
You said reputation cannot be managed by comms alone, and that communicators need to be close enough to ensure the right checks and balances are in place. What does that mean for the future comms team?
The always-on nature of today’s 24/7 media and digital landscape has made reputation more important than ever, and harder to manage than ever. Building a strong reputation requires more than just comms. It needs consistent, long-term actions focused on credibility, consistency and alignment with an organisation’s values.
That is the responsibility of the leaders in a business, no matter what function they sit in and should be at the heart of decision-making. I think in many organisations the comms team has already moved from being message deliverers to being strategic experts making sure reputation and trust are considered in business decisions. However I think as audiences collide, the future comms team needs to be deeply integrated and partner with leaders to make sure activity drives positive impact.
Comms teams have the most amazing advantage of having an ‘outside-in’ view of reputation that should be applied far beyond their own news calendar. The team of the future will help to drive change, bring a voice to the table that goes beyond data and prepares the business for criticism. At a time when it is harder than ever to cut through noise, the comms team will need to work hand in hand with other functions to go big, be bold and take risks together.
Bonus question: What is one thing you would advise comms leaders to stop doing, and one thing you would advise them to start doing today?
Stop getting stuck in internal meetings and start being part of the community you are trying to reach. Being with the people that are fans of the business and loyal customers will be the best spot for creative ideas, a reality check and a sense of direction.
From trust and reputation to AI and digital transformation, communicators are navigating a fast-changing agenda. Kademy helps communication leaders make sense of that change through practical insights, peer conversations and strategic guidance. Explore our upcoming roundtable discussions and find out how you can get involved.
