Why brands are turning to older creators for authenticity AI can’t fake

September 02, 2026 Millennial and Gen X content creators offer consistency, authenticity, and storytelling; three things brands need now more than ever. Brands hire ”authentic” creators because it helps drive sales, the feel-good aspect is just a bonus. Emarketer reports that 34% of social users are more likely to buy a product based on an authentic creator review. TOP STORY The Creator Economy Why brands are turning to older creators for authenticity AI can’t fake Millennial and Gen X content creators offer consistency, authenticity, and storytelling; three things brands need now more than ever. Advertisement OTHER THINGS TO KNOW Join us Oct. 13 for Digiday Media Strategies London, bringing together senior publishing executives from across the UK and EU for candid conversations, valuable connections and actionable insights. Connect one-on-one in 6-minute meetings, swap ideas in collaborative town halls and network over coffee, bowling and cocktails. Secure your pass by Sept. 21. Brands’ media dollars are diversifying as they follow consumer attention. According to the 2026 Marketing Decision Confidence Index by Haus, brands plan to increase spend on creator partnerships, video platforms, podcasts and CTV. Partner insights from Google. If every marketing platform is performing, why don’t numbers reconcile? Marketers are increasingly realizing that the dashboard matters less than whether the foundation underneath it is trustworthy. Now, marketing effectiveness is determined by the quality of measurement infrastructure, not solely by campaigns, creative or automation. Partner insights from AppsFlyer. MARKETING Member exclusive Future of TV Briefing: How strong are the fundamentals of the creator economy, really? This week’s Future of TV Briefing looks at signs that influencer marketing may be on the precipice of an economic correction. Modern Retail Location data fuels mall giant Simon’s new pitch to advertisers Simon is letting brands target shoppers in its malls in other environments and use new measurement tools based on Simon’s consumer data. PARTNER INSIGHTS FROM IBOTTA The consumer journey is CPG marketing’s ‘North Star’ Consumer experiences are no longer as simple as someone seeing an ad on television, going to the grocery store, finding the advertised product and making a purchase. Zero-click Future In Graphic Detail: How AI search has impacted the web traffic of over 50 advertisers Data spanning one agency’s entire client roster shows the true impact of AI search on web traffic and conversions. PARTNER INSIGHTS FROM MOLOCO The problem with last-touch for CTV Measuring CTV on last-touch alone tells only part of the story. Across hundreds of advertisers, 30% of campaigns are significantly undervalued by last-touch models alone. Advertisement IYCMI The Creator Economy Brands can’t just flip the 'employees as creators' switch Employee generated content is an increasingly enticing lever for brands to pull, but there needs to be a clear-cut strategy. PARTNER INSIGHTS FROM TRIPLELIFT Live session: How brands like Tastemade grow revenue despite platform constraints On Sept. 22 at 1 p.m. ET, join this webinar to learn how Tastemade, the New York Post and Sports Illustrated are turning audience fragmentation and platform constraints into new revenue opportunities. The Creator Economy For brands, the creator ambassador is becoming a creator executive The new creator partnership brings them into the C-Suite and seeks input and strategy, like Blenders and Jordan “The Stallion” Howlett. The Creator Economy YouTube’s AI remix push exposes a looming reckoning for the creator economy  YouTube’s Gemini Omni integration has highlighted some of the major problems generative AI poses in the creator economy. Written by Jim Cooper and Sara Jerde Were you forwarded this email? Sign up to get it daily. Advertise | Digiday+ | Events | Awards Update your email | Unsubscribe | Privacy policy