Ep. 31 – The Trust Recession: Navigating the Verification Economy with Rebecca Brooks, Founder & CEO at Alter Agents

When trust in institutions, corporations, and technology plummets, how does consumer behavior adapt? In Episode 31, Dan Fleetwood is joined by Rebecca Brooks, Founder & CEO of Alter Agents, to unpack the shift from "promiscuous shopping" as an adventure to shopping as a stressful minefield. Rebecca shares the origin story of Alter Agents and how putting employee happiness first fueled a tripling of agency size and an increase in industry awards. She then walks through her firm's multi-year research project tracking the collapse of brand trust, the emergence of the verification economy, and the shift in why modern consumers research products: to avoid getting duped rather than out of curiosity.   Guest: Rebecca Brooks –  Founder & CEO of Alter Agents, an award-winning market research consultancy dedicated to helping brands navigate complex consumer paths. Driven by a 20+ year fascination with human behavior, Rebecca built a high-growth, employee-first agency—earning top industry accolades, Quirk’s awards, and a spot on Inc. Magazine’s Top Female Founders. Co-author of Influencing Shopper Decisions, she is a frequent speaker and writer on shopper decision-making and the consumer trust landscape. Outside of work, she enjoys life with her husband, two kids, two handsome cats, and a surprisingly resilient fish.   Useful links: Read more about the trust recession: https://researchworld.com/hot-topics/the-trust-recession-why-today-s-survivalist-shoppers-are-yesterday-s-news Rebecca Brooks on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rebeccalbrooks/ Dan Fleetwood on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danfleetwood Learn more about QuestionPro: https://www.questionpro.com