AI is everywhere. It powers search engines, improves personalization, answers user queries, and enables timely and accurate marketing efforts.
According to research firm Gartner, 81% of marketing technology leaders are either piloting AI agents or have already implemented these agents across their organizations.
The problem? It’s all the same. Page after page, article after article, ad after ad that share the same not-quite-human characteristics. Sure, they check all the boxes, but so does the content of every other competitor, brand leader, and up-and-comer.
The solution? Brand authenticity. Building a presence and strengthening a voice that sets your efforts apart from the crowd.
Of course, this is easier said than done. Here’s how to get started.
Many news outlets and industry publications describe the new AI landscape as a “sea of sameness.” Content is generic, brand voices are muted, and efforts at emotional connection feel forced.
But if everyone is doing it, what’s the big deal? Won’t it all shake out in the end? Not quite.
Consider the old holiday commercials of yore (aka the ’90s and early aughts). The commercials felt unique to each brand, like a visual thumbprint. Jingles and visuals were easily memorable and referenceable, like The Coca-Cola Company’s classic polar bears.
Video Source: Instagram @relivethe90s
Today, AI overuse for ads has led to a shift in brand perception; consumers feel the disconnect from authenticity.
If the democratization of AI means that every brand can create the kind of ads with the same kind of detail, authenticity offers a way to stand out. But what does this really mean?
According to work from the Association for Consumer Research, there’s no single answer. The paper notes that “within marketing research, a definition of the concept of authenticity can only be rarely found.” In fact, an examination of brands that consumers rated as highly authentic varied significantly in their descriptions.
While the reliability and continuity of products were often mentioned, so were recognizable brand image and advertisement style, along with long-standing market success.
If we scratch just below the surface, however, a pattern emerges: Consistency. This could be consistency of quality, of image, or of sales over time. Brands that didn’t meet these marks were often ignored or forgotten. Of course, this creates a new challenge. If consistency is key and AI delivers a “sea of sameness,” what’s the disconnect?
The devil is in the details. Imagine a nostalgic holiday ad of years past updated with AI imagery. While AI can replicate the overall tone and theme, it can’t keep the finer points consistent, creating a kind of cognitive dissonance.
So what drives customer confidence? What authenticity indicators do shoppers want to see when they’re considering a purchase?
Salsify’s “2026 Consumer Research” report offers some perspective. When asked what factors highlight product quality and value — two key decision-making factors — authenticity took multiple forms.
In each case, consistency was critical for consumers. The form of that consistency was tied to customer priorities; some wanted evidence that products were durable, others wanted the confidence that came with consistent positive reviews, and still others put stock in long-term brand reputation.
When it comes to brand authenticity, you simply can’t ignore the impact of AI. While it may be tempting to avoid AI use entirely, this hurts sales and marketing more than it helps.
Instead of taking an either/or approach, companies are better served with balance. By leveraging human expertise where it makes sense and applying AI when warranted, brands can accelerate online engagement efforts without falling headfirst into the sea of sameness.
Here are four ways to use AI and stay authentic.
AI does some things better than humans. Data entry and analysis are two easy examples. With mountains of product and transaction data now generated daily, having humans verify and enter this data is a waste of time and effort.
Not only are humans prone to entry errors, but staff expertise is also put to better use maintaining current customer relationships and finding new ways to connect with consumers.
The result? Use AI to verify, not create. It’s great for checking data sets, looking for errors, and spotting trends. It’s not so hot at understanding your audience.
Product detail pages (PDPs) are often the first in-depth experience consumers have with your brand, making their creation and maintenance top priorities.
This starts with product titles. To capture interest, titles should include the main keyword that describes your product, its top features, and its size or defining attributes. Once users click through, they need easy access to in-depth materials data, pricing information, and shipping details.
This is where AI can help. AI-powered search engines often pick up clear and concise information from PDPs and help drive customer confidence. As noted by Salsify data, 31% of shoppers say that if AI returns detailed product descriptions and specifications, they’re more likely to trust the results.
For brands, this means putting in the work to make PDP data appealing to AI engines — think clear, concise, and authoritative.
AI trust and adoption vary widely by age. Salsify found that while 20% of millennials say they trust and use AI tools regularly, 55% of baby boomers don’t use them at all.
Addressing this gap means keeping a human in the loop. Not just for verification of AI data, but to help plan and execute marketing campaigns that appeal to different generations. For example, if your product mostly targets Gen Z, measured AI use makes sense. After the boomer market? Emphasize human creation and human contact.
It doesn’t matter how much or how little AI brands use: Consumers are still human. Expertly crafted AI ads and sales pitches won’t drive revenue if customers refuse to engage or actively ridicule these efforts online.
The solution turns an old idiom on its head: When it comes to AI, it’s better to ask permission than forgiveness. Run A/B testing and see what sticks. See how much AI is too much, where it goes unnoticed, and how much is just right. Finding the sweet spot is critical to capturing consumer interest.
An authentic brand strategy delivers consistency that will keep your customers coming back.
Relying entirely on AI can create a "sea of sameness." While pure automation speeds up production, human shoppers easily spot generic duplicates and inconsistent details at scale.
The winning strategy is about combining AI-driven speed and accuracy with strategic human oversight. AI tools can instantly manage data, format product specifications, and scale your content across channels with zero data errors. But humans must remain in the loop to guard your unique brand voice, verify data nuance, and ensure every detail feels genuine.
A human-centric approach to AI helps your team be more productive and unlock new ways of working. When it comes to protecting and growing your brand, AI-enabled tools can handle repetitive work while your team focuses on higher-impact projects.
By balancing automated efficiency with human empathy, you can deliver flawless, consistent product experiences that build trust. This improves the digital experience, helping customers feel confident in your brand’s quality.