Sorry, I am using social proof in the business context, not the academic context. When people use it in a business context, they typically mean "I don't know if

Sorry, I am using social proof in the business context, not the academic context. When people use it in a business context, they typically mean "I don't know if I can trust this company, therefore, I can use my friends/community/peers to see if this company has built trust with someone I also trust." Again, in this context, a company will always seek out positive social proof.