Brands are turning to AI driven trust metrics : Report

As companies across sectors increasingly rely on AI-driven reputation intelligence and trust metrics to shape strategy, modern public relations is undergoing a fundamental shift. According to the recently released 2026 North American Automotive Rankings, top automotive brands and dealer groups are now using artificial intelligence to operationalise trust and boost business performance treating reputation not as an afterthought but as core infrastructure.

The rankings, which evaluate carmakers and dealerships across consumer trust, engagement, and online visibility, reflect a broader industry trend. Rather than reacting to reviews or social media crises after the fact, leading brands are embedding real-time reputation insights into daily operations, using AI to anticipate customer concerns and improve experiences.

This shift underscores the growing importance of narrative control and credibility in an age where algorithms, digital platforms, and data-driven signals shape consumers’ perceptions and purchase choices, a development resonating far beyond the automotive sector.

In this changing landscape, reputation strategist Siddharth Chhabra founder of Prime Repute exemplifies how brand reputation work is evolving. Chhabra avoids marketing clichés, focusing instead on deep strategic narrative development that prioritises trust over trends, and significance over short-term numbers. His approach reflects a broader industry pivot from traditional campaign-based communication to sustained, trust-focused reputation building.

Chhabra’s firm helps individuals and organisations develop bespoke reputation strategies characterised by high-impact media placements in tier-1 outlets, attentive execution, and what he terms “reputation warfare” a strategic mindset that recognises relevance, relationships and real conversations as drivers of long-lasting influence. Unlike the pursuit of likes or quick wins, Chhabra emphasises authentic engagement as the foundation of meaningful public perception.

Industry observers note that as AI tools expand the capacity to measure and respond to signals such as online reviews, sentiment and visibility, brands are increasingly seeing reputation as a quantifiable business asset. Tools that once served primarily for periodic monitoring are now embedded into analytics systems that feed insights into customer experience, product development, and executive decision-making.

Chhabra himself remains largely behind the scenes, preferring to let outcomes speak for his work. His strategies often begin with listening to audiences, to critics and to clients themselves ensuring that communication reflects true needs rather than superficial visibility. One example saw a campaign built around the founder’s personal story of recovery from addiction and depression. Far from sounding like a typical product pitch, it resonated as a candid conversation a signal of the kind of trust-based storytelling that increasingly defines modern reputation work.

His leadership style within Prime Repute also mirrors this philosophy: creating space for strategic autonomy, encouraging new ideas and questioning conventions all in service of developing reputations that endure beyond momentary attention.

As the automotive industry’s use of AI-powered reputation intelligence demonstrates, and as brands across sectors face heightened expectations for authenticity and trust, experts believe the role of reputation strategy will only grow sharper. In an environment shaped by digital saturation and shortening attention spans, the ability to build and sustain credibility may soon outweigh the ability to generate buzz.