Reputation isn’t a buzzword—it’s the heartbeat of a brand. From the aisles of Target to the passport stamps of international tourism, trust is the one currency you can’t fake.
In 2025, Target has watched store visits shrink—down 8.8 % in late February and 6.8 % the first week of March. Comparable sales slid 4.4 %, and the stock has lost nearly a third of its value this year. Much of that pain comes from minority shoppers who once championed the Bullseye but now feel the brand blinked on its values.
On a bigger stage, the United States is fighting its own brand battle. Total international arrivals ended 2024 at 91 % of 2019 levels—about 6.6 million visitors short. Canada sits at 98 %, Europe in the mid-90s, but China is still just 57 %. Using U.S. Travel’s estimate that the average overseas visitor spends ≈ $4 000 per trip, that shortfall alone translates to $25B + left on the table.
Break trust and you break business. Rebuilding it takes more than campaigns—it takes real action.
Target’s Reputation Slip
Target didn’t just lose customers—it lost trust.
For years, the retailer carved a niche on style and inclusivity. But a quiet rollback of DEI displays in 2024-25 sounded like, “We don’t stand with you anymore.” The reaction was instant:
- Foot traffic down 8-9 % YoY in late-winter weeks.
- Comparable sales –4.4 %.
- Stock –30 %.
Building community is easy when times are good; defending it when it’s tough is the real measure.
The U.S. Tourism Reputation Slip
Countries are brands, too.
Policies—tariffs, travel bans, combative rhetoric—made the U.S. feel less open. Travelers noticed:
- Canada: rebound strong but still shy of 2019.
- China: visits still 43 % below 2019.
- Europe: high-80s/low-90s % of 2019, travelers splitting trips with “friendlier” options.
Every missing million visitors costs roughly $4 billion in spending. At 6.6 million down, the bill is enormous. And it’s not just leisure—conventions, business deals, even student enrollment feel the chill.
Brand reputation isn’t what you say; it’s how you make people feel at the border, the airport, the hotel desk.
Target and America are living the same truth: trust is fragile. Shoppers change stores; travelers change destinations. Both losses start with a feeling of being unwelcome. Both hit revenue far faster than marketing can patch.
When Airbnb faced #AirbnbWhileBlack in 2016, it launched a sweeping anti-discrimination policy, booted 4,000 hosts in 2022 for violations, and passed 400 million total guest arrivals by 2018—growth back on track. Transparency, policy teeth, and consistent follow-through worked.
Target didn’t lose shoppers because of one product display; the U.S. didn’t lose travelers over one airfare. Both lost trust because people didn’t like how they were made to feel. And when trust breaks, marketing can’t save you—leadership must.
Rebuilding is slow, unflashy work: consistency, humility, real engagement. But it’s the only path that lasts, because people don’t just buy products or plane tickets—they buy belonging. They buy trust.
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