Credible Creators and Unexpected Brand Content Lead the Next Wave of Audience Trust

Trust still sits at the center of good marketing, but the path to earning it has changed. In an environment flooded with polished content and automated output, audiences are rewarding brands that feel human, knowledgeable, and a little surprising. Personality, credibility, and unexpected creativity are becoming the signals people use to decide who deserves their attention.

Michelle Blaser is the Founder of marketing consultancy and newsletter The Pollinatr, where she helps brands, agencies, and executives build influence in an era where audiences have never been more discerning. With 15 years of experience developing strategies for brands including Duolingo and Epic Games, Blaser works at the intersection of culture, creativity, and credibility. "Brands showing up authentically, even if they are using AI, are the ones actually developing trust," she says. 

• Weird is working: Pre-COVID, purpose-driven marketing dominated. During COVID, brands pivoted to empathy and reassurance. What followed was a period where shock value and virality were the primary currency. That cycle has run its course. What audiences are responding to now is something Blaser calls "Seussian," where the goal is to be genuinely surprising rather than merely provocative, weird in a way that feels considered rather than calculated. The Dr. Seuss brand's own Instagram is a case study in this shift, where a fully costumed Grinch character generated so much engagement that the brand leaned into the moment, clarifying it was a real person. The content was surprising enough to stop the scroll. "Content that's a little bit weird, a little bit off-kilter, a little bit bizarro in the best way is what's cutting through right now."

That instinct is showing up even in the most intentional corners of the marketing world. Apple's recent TikTok launch is a telling example. Rather than leaning exclusively on the cinematic, produced content the brand is known for, the account features quirky and deliberately unexpected posts, including a fake baby announcement for a new laptop and abstract visual experiments that feel more playful than promotional.

• The authenticity premium: The influencer model built on follower count and aspirational lifestyle is losing ground to something more substantive. "Audiences are sick of the old model. It's see-through. The ideal partner is someone who would talk about the product even if they weren't getting paid," she says. People are gravitating toward voices that feel earned rather than manufactured. Credibility is becoming the new currency of influence, and brands are starting to structure partnerships accordingly.

• Going underground: The most trusted brand conversations are increasingly happening in smaller, more private spaces. LinkedIn and Substack are building influence at depth rather than scale, and niche Slack communities are pushing that even further, creating environments where genuine participation often converts members into customers. Companies like Creator Match and Air are building on this model through curated in-person meetups and events, creating the kind of real-world connection that no feed can replicate. "I think they have a lever that holds so much more trust and influence than these bigger shouting channels," she says.

• Inside out: Trust doesn't just live in external campaigns. "What we post from the company page has to reflect what is happening inside the walls of the company, or else you lose trust with your employees," Blaser says. When leaders show up on platforms like LinkedIn with consistency and vulnerability, that alignment becomes visible and credible to everyone watching.

Authenticity has a ceiling when the goal behind it is self-serving. Audiences are sophisticated enough to sense when vulnerability is a vehicle for reach rather than a genuine offer of value. The brands and creators building real trust start from a different place entirely. "No one should start with the objective of building a personal brand. Start with the desire to help other people with your unique expertise. That's the only place to begin," she concludes.