Chris Daly
CEO of the Chartered Institute of Marketing
In today’s market, organisations can no longer survive by competing on price, value or quality alone. Instead, they are tussling for a far more volatile resource: trust.
In a landscape saturated with synthetic, AI-generated content, authenticity has shifted from a marketing preference to a hard commercial requirement.
Marketing leaders are currently on a collision course with their customers. While 8 in 10 marketing bosses of organisations of more than 50 employees are racing to implement artificial intelligence to achieve AI ROI before 2030,1 the human response is rapidly cooling.
The AI paradox: efficiency vs. empathy
CIM’s research highlights a stark trust deficit: 79% of 18-24-year-olds lose faith in a brand the moment they realise its content is AI-generated.1 For Gen Z, synthetic marketing is a hollow substitute for real connection. By prioritising the “synthetic,” brands risk trading long-term loyalty for a short-term productivity spike.
This tension is most visible on the e-commerce frontline. While AI chatbots offer useful guidance, many brands fall into a dangerous trap: prioritising automation purely to slash costs. In an era of digital mimicry, an authentic experience is the only way to remain memorable. To win, brands must stop starting with the technology and start with the human at the other end of the screen.
At the top of the sales funnel, the strategy is shifting. The “gold rush” of the polished mega-influencer is ending in favour of niche experts who provide evidence-backed advice. The critical question is no longer “how much should we spend?”, but “is this creator an authentic fit?”
By prioritising the “synthetic,” brands risk trading long-term loyalty for a short-term productivity spike
Authenticity wins the day
AI undeniably helps streamline the back-end, from demand forecasting to sizing accuracy. However, efficiency is not a brand identity. AI can mimic the form of a conversation, but it cannot yet replicate the nuance of human creativity or the warmth of emotional intelligence — the very factors that drive customers to an e-commerce platform in the first place. In today’s e-commerce world, authenticity is the key differentiator — the most efficient way to grow revenue is to remember the person behind the purchase.
[1] Delves, J. & Ralph, J. (2026). Marketing leadership in the age of AI
