In an age of AI-generated content and growing scrutiny in a fragmented media landscape, audiences are increasingly questioning what is real and who they can trust.
The Digital 2025 Australia report revealed that 75% of Australians are concerned about distinguishing real or fake content online - and more than half are turning to influencers and social platforms not just for entertainment, but for brand research and recommendations. At the same time, the 2025 Edelman Trust Barometer shows trust in established institutions - media, government and business - has hit an all-time low.
What this tells us is that people are seeking out voices that feel real - relatable creators, peer communities and content that’s unpolished but honest. This shift is reshaping influence: audiences are gravitating toward micro-influencers and community-led conversations that reflect their own values and experiences.
So, what’s next for brands? It is no longer just about where you engage your audiences or who you partner with. The real opportunity lies in how you build trust - starting with your own channels as the foundation for all others to follow.
From reach to relevance: the new rules of influence
As consumers are tuning out overly produced ads and seeking more relatable and honest storytelling that fosters meaningful connection, brands need to step back from chasing vanity metrics and viral trends to meet fleeting algorithms - and rather align their social presence with the brand’s core values.
This not only includes their own social channels, but the influencers they partner with. While influencer marketing has long been a core strategy for brands to engage with audiences authentically, it is evolving fast - with creator-generated revenue expected to reach $184.9 billion this year according to WPP Media’s mid-year outlook. Today, fit trumps fame. Micro-influencers with smaller, values-aligned communities often generate higher engagement and deeper trust than polished celebrity endorsements. When brands co-create with these influencers and empower them to tell stories in their own voices, the content feels more genuine and performs better.
Using AI-powered insights, they can better identify the right creators whose content, audience profiles and ‘expertise’ align closely with their brand values and campaign goals. The best partnerships aren’t just about reach - they are about relevance.
Lead with insight and own the narrative for brand authority
We can agree that trust is not just earned or built overnight - it needs to be owned. Whilst building credible partnerships is an essential part of a brand’s strategy to establish trust, in a digital world where misinformation spreads fast and influencer missteps can quickly derail a brand, relying solely on third-party voices is risky.
That’s why brands must also focus on strengthening their own authority - anchoring their strategy in authenticity, consistency and insight-driven decision making.
True brand credibility doesn’t happen by accident. It requires showing up consistently to build a credible voice across all channels, staying true to your values and investing in the right tools to monitor perception, measure impact and respond quickly to reputational risks.
Media intelligence capabilities are no longer a nice-to-have. They are essential for understanding how your brand is being talked about, by whom and in what context.
Successful brands are adopting a multi-channel approach, recognising that each platform plays a distinct role in the customer journey. By leveraging AI, large language models (LLMs) and social listening, they can uncover real-time insights into key audience behaviours and interests, content styles that matter to different age groups and audience segments, as well as shifting sentiment. This allows them to build more personalised, authentic campaigns that cut through the noise, drive genuine connections and long-term engagement, but also protect the brand’s reputation.
In a dynamic digital media world where trust is in short supply, the brands that thrive will be those with a strong owned presence, a clear and credible voice, and the ability to engage audiences authentically at every touchpoint.
