The Conservative party has a trust issue – a big one. And Labour and LibDems are not that far behind in the mistrust stakes. In fact, these days, politicians in general are suffering from a massive credibility crisis. The electorate don’t believe they’ll stick to their promises and whatever they say seems to be making it worse.

McDonald’s faced similar trust issues ten years ago, globally and specifically in the UK. Their loyal consumers and potential customers decided their offering was substandard; their food regarded as unhealthy junk, an opinion reinforced by the film Fast Food Nation and the documentary Supersize Me.

McDonald’s started losing money at an alarming rate. But they didn’t give in – not that you would expect them to. Instead they faced their challenges and took rapid action. They improved quality, rallied the troops, got their crisis management in order, honed their marketing messaging and made a concerted effort to win back the nation’s hearts. Basically they spent money to stop themselves losing more money.

First they invested heavily in the finest ingredients, knowing that provenance was one of the key touch points to consumer satisfaction. They started using 100 per cent British beef, identifying the farmers from whom the meat came. They changed their UK advertising to ensure that it was all about the product. They revamped their photography – some shots taking months to prepare, and used some of the world’s best food photographers.

The changed how they spoke about themselves dramatically and ensured that globally all their advertising and direct mail had consistent quality messages. They started using images of fields, crops and families to highlight their food credentials. Everything they did directly countered the idea that their food was unhealthy junk. And it worked.

Public faith was restored and now McDonald’s sales are at an all-time high. So what can the Conservative party learn? They can get professional help to start tackling their trust issue head-on; start taking their branding seriously, get their messages right, develop strategic campaigns – and stop sticking their head in the sand and hoping it’s all going to go away.