From Trusting Brands to Trusting People‍

A few years ago, influencer marketing felt like the most natural evolution of advertising. As consumers grew increasingly sceptical of traditional ads and brand-controlled narratives, they began turning to people instead. Influencers became the relatable voices who simplified decisions, shared real experiences, and made information feel accessible. 

Studies have shown that nearly 61% of consumers trust influencer recommendations over brand messaging (Which explains why influencer marketing became a multi-billion-dollar industry globally) 

But if you scroll through your social media, something feels different. The platforms that once felt organic now resemble a curated marketplace just designed to feel human. Trust is predominantly funded, and the value influencers brought now seems limited to just content and distribution in the post-META world. With the advent of AI, this is further challenged by brands that leverage faces and AI technologies to dump more content than we want to retain into our phones and minds.
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The same trust gap that once gave rise to influencer marketing quietly seems to be up for grabs. 

The Shift from Influencers to AI-Led Decisions

What’s more interesting is how consumer behaviour is evolving alongside this shift. Instead of scrolling endlessly through content / real/ branded, or AI-generated consumers are beginning to ask for answers elsewhere. Queries like “best sunscreen for dry skin under ₹600” or “which protein powder actually works” are increasingly being directed to AI tools rather than social platforms. Reports suggest that over 40% of Gen Z users now prefer AI-powered search or recommendation tools for quicker, more personalised answers.

Influencers may still help consumers discover products, but AI is helping them decide. While discovery is emotional and driven by aspiration, decision-making is practical and driven by clarity. AI aggregates information much faster than a consumer ever can (reviews, product data, ingredient lists, comparisons) and presents it in a way that feels efficient and tailored. For some users, this is enough to make a purchase immediately; for others, it becomes a starting point. But in both cases, AI has entered the decision-making layer in a meaningful way.

You can already see this reflected in how certain brands perform. Brands like Minimalist or The Ordinary, which are built on clear, ingredient-led communication, are easier to understand and compare, making them more adaptable to AI-driven recommendations. At the same time, brands like Moxie Beauty continue to thrive in discovery-led environments by showcasing real usage, textures, and routines. This highlights an important reality of how different platforms now serve different roles in the consumer journey.

The New Era of Influence

This doesn’t mean AI will replace influencers but we need to consider how influence itself is being redistributed. Influencers are still incredibly powerful in shaping aspirations, identity, and cultural relevance. They create desire, set trends, and make products feel part of a lifestyle. People don’t go to AI to feel inspired or to discover their aesthetic, yet. However, when it comes to evaluating options, comparing products, and making a final decision, AI offers something influencers cannot: speed, clarity, and simplicity. 

A growing number of consumers are now moving between both worlds, discovering through people and deciding through systems.

For brands, this marks a significant shift. Visibility is no longer just about being discovered; it’s about being recommended. With a lack of transparency and trust in content creation, will AI fill that gap, or will take over the discovery and trust systems entirely?

Influencer marketing emerged because trust in traditional advertising declined. Now, as influencer ecosystems become more commercial and controlled, trust is shifting again, but this time toward tools that are controlled by a different set of rules that may not entirely benefit the consumer.

How can this influence your branding?

This isn't just a marketing discussion but also a larger branding and packaging one. Products are often designed for influencer and social media discovery. The community a brand builds, how it exists or how packaging stands out on an influencer feed, or what it communicates. If the medium of discovery is evolving, we need to start thinking about how to design not just for discovery but also for AI when it recommends.