LE ROLE DE LA CONFIANCE DANS LA RELATION CLIENT-MARQUE A L'ERE DU NUMERIQUE DANS LES PME BENINOISES

The purpose of this paper is to understand the role of trust in customer-brand relationships in the digital age in Beninese SMEs. Using a qualitative approach, we conducted semi-structured interviews with 24 SME managers, marketing managers, and customer relationship managers, and adopted the thematic content analysis method using Nvivo 14 software. The results showed that trust is a central pillar of customer-brand relationships in the digital age. It is characterized by the security, transparency, and reliability of platforms, and positively influences customer loyalty, satisfaction, and engagement. Relational dimensions such as listening, responsiveness, and personalization strengthen the emotional connection between the customer and the brand, while technical aspects, particularly data security and website performance, form the essential foundations. Furthermore, social proof through reviews, recommendations, and interactions on social media appears to be a determining factor in building or eroding trust.