We can still save influencer marketing before AI eats it alive

Unilever plans to increase its marketing budget for social media to 50% and partner with significantly more influencers. However, experts warn that this approach may undermine the core value of influencer marketing, which thrived on trust and authentic relationships. As brands seek immediate sales results, the industry faces a shift from genuine engagement to mere ad inventory. This evolution has paved the way for AI-generated content, leading to concerns that brands might soon prefer AI over human creators, jeopardizing the trust that the influencer marketing model once relied upon.

Unilever's new CEO plans to allocate 50% of the marketing budget to social media, emphasizing influencer partnerships but risking the authenticity that originally defined influencer marketing.

As brands prioritize immediate sales over building genuine relationships, trust—once crucial for influencer marketing—is being sidelined, turning influence into just a numbers game.

With the rise of AI, brands might soon forgo real creators altogether, opting instead for AI-generated content that can produce high-quality material in seconds.

The evolution of influencer marketing—from trust and authenticity to reach and conversions—may lead to its unraveling as brands increasingly treat it like ad inventory.

Read at The Drum