The trust era: Why CEOs matter more than ads in 2026

Luxury brands talk about loyalty... but what does it actually take to earn it? In this episode of Marketing in the Madness, recorded live at Shoptalk Luxe, Katie Street sits down with Ahmed Al Derazi, VP & Head of Corporate Communications at Landmark Group, a $7B retail business operating across 15 countries with over 50 million loyalty members.  They unpack what most brands still get wrong about loyalty, trust and customer experience and why the rules are changing fast. Because loyalty isn’t just about points or perks anymore. It’s about how brands show up. Chapters: 00:00 Introduction to Landmark Group and why they’re at Shoptalk Luxe 01:00 Inside a $7B value retail empire with 2,500+ stores 03:00 Blending value with premium in-store experiences 06:30 How Landmark built a 50M+ member loyalty ecosystem 09:30 Why loyalty today is about behaviour, not just rewards 10:50 What the Edelman Trust Barometer reveals about trust today 12:30 Why CEOs and leaders are becoming the new marketing channel 15:00 The decline of trust in traditional media 17:30 What makes brand communication feel human and believable 18:30 What “reputation” really means in modern retail 20:00 Strategic priorities for 2026 and building a “tomorrow company” The big shift? Trust is no longer built through campaigns. It’s built through people, consistency and experience. And in a world of AI, content overload and declining trust in media… that matters more than ever. And because this series is part of our partnership with Shoptalk Luxe, if conversations like this one spark ideas then you'll definitely want to be in the room next time! Shoptalk Europe 2026 is already shaping up to be HUGE. If retail, tech and innovation sit anywhere in your world, now's the time to get your ticket and get it in the diary here: https://europe.shoptalk.com/home?utm_source=mediapartner&utm_medium=website&utm_campaign=marketing-in-the-madness-podcast Subscribe to the podcast: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2UUIgMdZ6FdSCrux5BY7PI?si=c48bdbecb5be4a6e Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/marketing-in-the-madness/id1688996981 Connect with us: Ahmed Al Derazi LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ahmedalderazi/ Katie Street  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/katiestreet/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/streetmate/ Marketing in the Madness  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/marketing-in-the-madness-podcast/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marketinginthemadness/ Street Agency https://street.agency/ https://www.instagram.com/street.agency/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/streetagency/ #luxuryretail #customerexperience #brandtrust  #loyalty