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ArticleÌýat a glance:Ìý

Influencer marketing is worth $24 billion as an industry, but followers areÌýbecoming cynical. Authenticity is key to building andÌýmaintainingÌýconsumer trust, butÌýit’sÌýnot a single, fixed concept.ÌýResearchÌýbyÌýthe Business School’sÌýOmar Merlo,ÌýAssociate Professor of Marketing StrategyÌýand Andreas B. Eisingerich, Professor ofÌýMarketing,ÌýexploresÌýthe vital elements to convey true authenticity andÌýhowÌýthis can be harnessedÌýby major brands.ÌýDr Merlo shares what will make or break influencer marketing in 2026.Ìý

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Globally, the influencer marketing industry isÌý. Influencers set trends, raise brand profiles, and shape – directly or indirectly – how many of us live.ÌýWith this rising impact, however, comes greater scrutiny.ÌýÌý

Consumers are now more discerning when consuming influencer content, following some with loyalty and trust while viewing others with suspicion.ÌýSo why do consumers trust some influencers and not others?Ìý

Ìýthat the mostÌýimportant factorÌýin decidingÌýwhether or notÌýto follow anÌýinfluencer on social media isÌýtheirÌýauthenticÌýand genuinely care about their interests.ÌýAt the same time,ÌýoverÌýa third of consumers think influencers misrepresent themselves and the products they promote, and almost half think most of them are fake.ÌýÌý

Taken together, these findings suggest thatÌýthere’sÌýa gap; consumers areÌýseekingÌýgenuine, honest influencers, but many influencers struggle to convey this authenticity. This is a problem for brands and their chief marketing officers, as well as influencers themselves.ÌýÌý

Figure 1:ÌýWhat our research suggests influencers and brands should leave behind in 2025 and take forward for 2026Ìý

How to be more authentic in 2026Ìý

So,Ìýwhat can influencersÌýand the brands that hire them, do to move from a transactional to a transformational relationship with the clued-in consumers of 2026?Ìý

Our research, through 185 interviews with brand managers, agencies, influencers and consumers across the world, sheds light on what authenticity means and how to better reflect it:Ìý

• ExperienceÌýmatters more thanÌýformal credentials:ÌýOur survey respondents tended to trust amateur runners, for example, more than Olympic athletes. Consumers connect withÌýexpertiseÌýgained through real, relatable human experience.Ìý

• Engagement is aÌýtwo-way street:ÌýResponding,ÌýinteractingÌýand engaging with followers is key to influencers building andÌýmaintainingÌýa community around them. ItÌýcreates a space whereÌýfollowers feelÌýheardÌýand respected.Ìý

• BeÌýhonest about self-interest:ÌýÌýhas shown that 96% of sponsored posts are notÌýdisclosed.ÌýPeople know that brands pay influencers, so trying to hide it can end up making followers feel like they are being misled, and that they are an asset to be monetised. Being clear about it helps them feel valued.Ìý

• Authentic voices and storiesÌýwillÌýshine through:ÌýImposed scripts and brand lines come across as inauthentic and artificial. OriginalÌýstorytelling can be a unique sellingÌýpoint andÌýcan even be the reason followers stick around.Ìý

• Flaws are welcome:ÌýPsychologically, revealing a low-impact piece of negative information – such as a mistake or misunderstanding – makes consumers less likely to look for other negatives.Ìý

Of course, thisÌýcan’tÌýbe mistaken as a checklist for brands to tick off. Findings suggest that different stakeholders prioritise each dimension differently. Consumers mostly value integrity and transparency, for example, while influencers prioritise originality andÌýexpertise.Ìý

When influencers miss the mark, they risk losing the trust of their audience. To solve this, brands need to appreciate that authenticity is not an individual trait that influencers do or do notÌýpossessÌý– rather,Ìýit’sÌýa collective outcome that forms when stakeholder priorities align. Shifting approach to find this alignment can be game-changing for brands, in a global market where authenticity matters most.Ìý

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The era of renting credibility through one-off postsÌýfrom influencersÌýis over. Brands that treatÌýinfluencers as partners rather than media channelsÌýand consumers as communities rather than impressions, willÌýearn the most credibility. Those thatÌýdon’tÌýwill simply add to the noise. In 2026,Ìýinfluencer marketingÌýwillÌýwork only whenÌýthe conditionsÌýneededÌýforÌýtrueÌýauthenticityÌýare prioritised.Ìý