How did we get here? Aren’t you scared? You should be.

Last year we learned that Bill Clinton raped a 13-year-old-girl.

We also learned that federal police found 19 white female bodies in freezers with ‘Black Lives Matter’ carved into their corpses.

And then, ISIS leaders called for American Muslim voters to support Hillary Clinton (after having sold weapons to ISIS the year before).

But, ultimately, we learned just how completely stupid we are.

You see, Bill Clinton didn’t rape a child; no white women were murdered, defiled and then stored in freezers as guerrilla protest; and ISIS didn’t campaign for Hillary Clinton (she also didn’t sell them weapons). These were all fake news stories in the final 6 months of last year that circulated through Facebook – reaching a staggering audience of beyond 1.79 billion people. The stories themselves – many from credible news sites – were shared over 134 million times. Put into perspective, these stories were shared via Facebook more than 140,000% compared to the top 20 real news stories of 2016.

Fake content has flooded the digital sphere, captivated the attention of people across the world, and had an enormous influence on the outcome of the U.S. Presidential Election.

So, I want to know… ARE YOU WITH STUPID?

While these terrifying statistics reflect just how much the digital sphere and our social media networks present content on an enormous scale, it also speaks to something much more important for us all: trust.

A recent study found that trust in marketing and media platforms throughout USA in the now Trump-Era has nosedived to below 32%.

Why should the A+D community pay attention?

Trust is something that you – all of us in this creative community of design –cannot underestimate. As the bedrock of any marketing or branding exercise you undertake, trust is the one element that will transform a reader into a lead.

Trust, that is, transforms marketing into results. But here’s what you also need to take away from the statistics: there’s a massive audience out there, looking for someone to trust. Your audience wants to see you as a thought-leader, they want the compelling story about you.

But, do you know what your compelling story is?

The landscape of trust across the full spectrum of content, brands, industries and marketing has irrevocably changed. Top stories are constantly citing elements of corporate social responsibility, people and projects focused on sustainability, diversity, inclusion and community. For A+D this is our make or break moment. The latest designs, the coolest products, the sexiest buildings just don’t cut it anymore.

This is where I can help you. Indesign Media Asia Pacific has always understood that this – ALL OF THIS – is much bigger than us, much bigger than all of us. Design is an international dialogue, an instantly intelligible global language that stands at the core of communities. Design wants a better world, a smarter world.

From this very simple desire for a better, smarter world, Indesign Media’s latest offering – C-Gen – grew. Launching in January 2017, C-Gen is an A+D communications office specialising in engaging our 800,000+ readers with the stories about your participation in this mission. Our team of strategists, editors, designers and market researchers are uniquely positioned to draw out your brand’s voice to make sure that it hits that all-important note of trust in a direct, focused line of communication to the right audience, at the right time, in the right way.

Your audience is seeking out your story, they want to consume it, to get excited about it, to share it. And, since day one, we’ve known yours is a story that needs to be heard.

C-Gen is our next chapter in building a better, smarter and trustworthy media world. You’re a part of that.

We want to tell your story.

It’s time.

Please feel free to contact us @ C-Gen