The Trustmakers

Davos Special Part 1: Semafor's Andrew Edgecliffe Johnson on what's on CEO's minds at WEF

Andrew Edgecliffe-Johnson, CEO Editor at Semafor, sits down with Justin Blake, Executive Director of the Edelman Trust Institute, at the 2025 Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos. Andrew, who has attended meetings since 2007, gives tips for navigating Davos and shares what’s top of mind for business leaders at this year’s meeting. “Companies are starting to think, ‘Maybe we can’t tune out all of our critics […] Are there areas where we can diffuse some of this anger?'” he says.

The Trustmakers

Board Leaders on How to Strengthen Technology Oversight

Nora Denzel and David Kenny, former executives and current leaders of the boards of AMD and Best Buy, respectively, join Sat Dayal, Managing Director of Technology at Edelman, for a conversation on how boards can establish and develop tech oversight. The pair co-chaired the NACD’s 2024 Blue Ribbon Commission on the topic. Nora and David discuss instituting self-governance principles, thinking ahead on how tech can change the way businesses operate, and keeping an open mind in order to stay on the cutting edge. “With technology, you need to move from being a know-it-all to a learn-it-all,” David says.

The Trustmakers

Research Director on 2024 Elections' Lessons in Messaging

David Simas, the Managing Director of Research and Impact at Emerson Collective, joins Justin Blake, Executive Director of the Edelman Trust Institute, to discuss takeaways from the U.S. presidential elections and other elections around the world for all brand, business, and media leaders. They cover the forces at play in this year’s elections, determining the best messenger for the message you are communicating, and the increasing importance of deeply understanding your audience. “In a fragmenting media ecosystem where people can select and sort their consumption in any way they want, the nuance that you need to bring in terms of audience determination is much more refined,” David says.

Research Director on 2024 Elections' Lessons in Messaging

David Simas, the Managing Director of Research and Impact at Emerson Collective, joins Justin Blake, Executive Director of the Edelman Trust Institute, to discuss takeaways from the U.S. presidential elections and other elections around the world for all brand, business, and media leaders. They cover the forces at play in this year’s elections, determining the best messenger for the message you are communicating, and the increasing importance of deeply understanding your audience. “In a fragmenting media ecosystem where people can select and sort their consumption in any way they want, the nuance that you need to bring in terms of audience determination is much more refined,” David says.

The Trustmakers

Culture Expert Explains Why Vibes Determined the U.S. Presidential Election

Dr. Marcus Collins, a clinical assistant professor of marketing at the University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business and author of “For the Culture,” explains to Brooks Miller, Executive Vice President of Influencer Marketing at Edelman, why “vibes” helped former President Donald Trump win the 2024 U.S. presidential election. “We make decisions based off of what we feel, and we post-hoc rationalize them with the data available to us. Because we make most of our decisions in life as such, why would voting be any different?” Marcus says.