The news: No longer do shoppers evaluate brands on messaging alone—authenticity is now validated across every channel, per Emplifi’s 2026 Digital Authenticity in the Age of AI report.

Emplifi surveyed more than 1,600 US and UK consumers to examine how people perceive brand authenticity and AI use across social media and customer care. 

The reward side (positive sentiment)

• 93% say authentic engagement builds trust—for example, Forever 21’s response to plus-size shoppers’ criticism, stating that it planned to expand its plus-size line.
• 85% of US and UK consumers would be willing to pay more for brands they consider authentic, per Emplifi.

The risk side (negative sentiment)

• 52% would stop buying from a brand after an inauthentic experience.
• 33% would complain to people they know after a poor experience, and another 33% would leave a negative review.

Zooming in: Consumer trust directly affects pricing power, customer churn, and brand reputation. One bad interaction unravels goodwill for most consumers.

• Peer reviews now outrank brand messaging as the most trusted authenticity signal. Over three-quarters (79%) of consumers read three or more reviews before purchase. 
• For items costing more than $500, 56% spend more than an hour researching—a 24 percentage point increase from 2023.
• The most authentic content types for US and UK consumers are search results (66%) and user-generated reviews (63%). Brand-produced content ranks significantly lower.

Only 35% of US consumers and 28% in the UK trust AI-generated content, and 91% of consumers overall expect brands to disclose AI use in marketing. 

Recommendations for brands: Authenticity cannot live in brand messaging alone. Consumers verify claims across every channel before they buy. Marketing that feels polished but lacks customer proof will raise skepticism.

• Place customer proof where consumers already look. Surface reviews, ratings, and user-generated content (UGC) on product pages, search results, and marketplaces. 
• Disclose AI use openly. Consumers don’t reject AI—they reject hidden automation and AI slop. Brands will benefit from noting when content or service is AI-generated.

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