“Oh. My. God. You guys HAVE to try this!”

[Insert perfectly lit video of someone “discovering” a product they were clearly paid to promote]

If you spend any time on social media, you know the script.

Every product is “SO amazing!”

Every experience is “life-changing.”

Every gadget‘s a “game changer.”

And we’re all getting tired of it.

User-Generated Content (UGC) was supposed to be authentic. Real people sharing real experiences with products they regularly use — and truly love.

Instead, we got:

• Staged “morning routines”
• Fake “unboxing” reactions
• Scripted “honest reviews”
• Manufactured “viral moments”

The problem is worse than creator fatigue. It’s trust erosion.

In I Need That, I talk about how the dog brain connects with authentic emotion while the tank brain spots fakery. When every creator “absolutely loves” every product they’re paid to promote, both brains check out.

I see this with clients’ products. Real, passionate users create genuinely exciting content. But as soon as we try to manufacture that magic with paid creators, something gets lost.

Some telling patterns:

• Engagement drops when audiences sense scripts
• Comment sections call out obvious sponsorships
• Genuine enthusiasm stands out because it’s rare
• “Anti-influencer” content is gaining traction

More and more, the rules require transparency about endorsements in advertising. In August, the FTC revised its guidelines to prohibit misrepresenting one’s experience or testimonials from someone who doesn’t actually have experience with a product.

Smart brands are adapting:

• Embracing honest reviews (even critical ones)
• Ensuring creators actually use products before posting
• Focusing on micro-influencers with genuine connections
• Trading control for authenticity

Action for today: Look at your product’s social presence. Are you building trust or scorching it? The best strategy can be letting go of perfect polish for real connection.

What’s your authenticity quotient?

Laurier

Product Payoff: When Old Spice let Isaiah Mustafa go completely off-script with “The Man Your Man Could Smell Like,” they created advertising gold. Magic happens when you trust good creators.