By Paul Archer, CEO and founder of Duel and co-host of the Building Brand Advocacy Podcast
You don’t need me to tell you that Artificial Intelligence (AI) has revolutionised content creation – it’s impacted how content is produced, distributed, and consumed across almost every industry. And what’s more, at a spectacular rate.
And I’m a huge fan. AI has enabled brands to produce vast amounts of material at unprecedented speeds, driving efficiencies and when used correctly, enhancing productivity too. It’s why brands like Nike and Coca-Cola are using AI to generate product recommendations, marketing messages and even brand experiences too.
But is it all it’s cracked up to be?
There’s no doubt AI is reshaping the way businesses communicate with their audiences, but this surge in AI-generated content comes at a price: it often lacks the warmth, nuance, and relatability that human-generated content inherently possesses.
It’s why, according to Forbes, despite AI’s efficiency, 75 percent of consumers are concerned about misinformation from AI.
That’s because we are increasingly craving real stories, genuine experiences, and honest feedback from people we trust to make better and more informed buying decisions. That could be from family, friends, communities we are part of or authentic brand advocates we follow on social media.
And so in an era where AI-generated content is ubiquitous, the unique and personal nature of human connections and recommendations has become an incredibly powerful differentiator for brands.
Authentic content is now at a premium
AI content is useful, informative and perfect for a high velocity marketing channel – allowing for hyper personal content that converts. However, much of our purchasing decisions are built on trust – do we trust the brand, do we trust the product and do we trust the message? Or messenger…
As AI content becomes ever present, we’re going to see a deeper need for authentic content as a vital part of the mix. Combining the efficiency, personalisation and efficacy of AI with the trust that comes with authentic content will be key to brand growth this year. Here’s how brands can do this:
The power of the nano army
As consumers increasingly turn to their own communities for product recommendations and reviews, brands are recognising the importance of building meaningful partnerships with their customers who are creators in their own right with their own audience.
These creators from within a brand’s network of existing customers may not buy the most or have the vast followings of the “celebrity influencer”, but crucially they have a much more engaged audience and so their recommendations go much further. Put simply, creators with smaller ‘nano’ audiences are far more personal, trustworthy and you guessed it…authentic.
The problem brands have is how they harness this opportunity by engaging with enough creators, and managing their content at scale. By adopting a creator-centric approach that drives content creation among their customers to amplify their brand story, brands like Abercrombie & Fitch and Charlotte Tilbury are unlocking new levels of authenticity and reach, driving increased awareness, loyalty and ultimately, sales.
UGC vs branded content
According to Sprout Social, people cited recommendations from friends as the top reason they make purchases through social media, while research from Stackla shows that User Generated Content (UGC) is 2.4 times more trusted than brand created content.
And so USG has become the cornerstone of brand authenticity – it resonates more deeply with potential customers because it provides an unfiltered view of the brand experience.
And the best way for brands to invest in it is to first focus on building a community of loyal brand fans and then incentivising them to create and share content with their own followers.
Skin wellness brand, ELEMIS, is a great example of a brand doing this well. Its Skinsiders program engages its most socially active customers and incentivises them to create and share content on behalf of the brand in exchange for exclusive offers, content and products. Likewise, fashion retailer Mint Velvet launched its MVCollective to do the same. Through the program, Mint Velvet has generated over 2000 pieces of UGC and counting, while increasing its social reach to over 7 million and saving thousands on paid production costs.
The future
In an era dominated by AI-generated content, the quest for authenticity has never been more critical. Consumers are increasingly drawn to real content, created by real people and genuine recommendations from people they know and trust.
By creating their own nano army and embracing UGC, brands can navigate the AI landscape while preserving and enhancing their own authenticity, which has never been more important to their future growth.
