Why the future of brand trust is sensory marketing

On a recent call with a major sports organization to discuss experiential communications, a marketing leader pushed back with a familiar argument, “Why wouldn’t I just take a few million dollars and do an ad buy instead? I can reach the same number of people.” But reach isn’t the problem for today’s brand leader. With marketing teams facing a 54% increase in content production demands, generative AI tools like ChatGPT, Sora, HeyGen, and OpusPro have made it easier or cheaper to produce content at scale to saturate feeds and timelines with ad-ready messaging. Yet, the biggest mistake in doing so is believing that speed and volume equal impact. When reach and efficiency aren’t prioritized, nuance and complexity take precedence. When this occurs, audiences tune out. Far too many brands have chosen to ignore the erosion of trust and AI fatigue currently taking shape. From cultural forces to an overreliance on influencer marketing, audiences have become increasingly skeptical of what they c