How Influencer's Became the CEO's of Consumer Chaos

Why People Trust Influencers More Than Brands — And What That Means for the Future of Marketing (Spoiler: Everything)

Picture it:

You’re scrolling TikTok at 1 a.m. with no intention of buying anything, when someone pops up with a five-second review, and suddenly you’re convinced this is the product your future self has been waiting for.

And there’s a reason it works.

We don’t trust brands anymore.

We trust people — real people.

Not polished campaign faces. Not spokespeople. Not mascots wearing khakis.

We trust people sharing their experiences, lives, messiness, and opinions online.

Influencers aren’t “like” real people — they ARE real people

Even when influencers cultivate a persona or aesthetic, at the core there’s an actual person behind the camera: someone talking about their routine, their struggles, their favorite sunscreen, their relationships, their pets, their chaotic kitchen, their late-night cravings.

Brands communicate like corporations.

Influencers communicate like humans.

That difference matters.

It’s not just “relatability.”

It’s emotional bandwidth.

It’s a person-to-person connection.

We trust people because we know people.

Brands show the highlight reel. Influencers show products in action

Brands have professional videographers and copywriters whose job is to make a product look perfect. They spend hundreds of hours:

• lighting a single bottle
• staging a set
• polishing the exact wording
• choreographing splash shots and product rotation

That’s the brand world.

Influencers? They use the product the way real customers do. It's more natural. More tangible. No corporate-approved sparkle. They show:

• the texture
• the “after two weeks.”
• the breakage, the wear, the breakdown
• the messy, everyday experience

We respond to that because it mirrors how we’d interact with it.

It’s not manufactured perfection.

It’s a lived experience.

The trust gap hits maximum levels during big shopping moments

Think about Black Friday, Cyber Monday, holiday shopping season, Prime Days, or anniversary sales. Advertising goes into overdrive. Brands flood us with:

• “BEST DEAL EVER!”
• “LIMITED TIME ONLY!”
• “DON’T MISS OUT!”

… and the louder brands get, the less we believe them.

But creators?

That week is their Super Bowl.

We watch them because we want to know:

• what’s actually worth buying
• what’s hype
• what’s trash
• what’s already sold out
• what they personally recommend

Major shopping holidays expose what’s already true:

When the stakes get higher, audiences lean on influencers more than brands.

Influencers risk something brands don’t

If an influencer recommends something awful, their comment section turns into a courtroom. Their reputation is the product—so they’re careful.

Brands can launch another campaign.

Creators don’t have that luxury.

People trust them because they feel that personal consequence.

So what does this mean for the future of marketing?

The power dynamic has already shifted:

Brands talk to consumers.

Influencers speak with them.

The future isn’t more corporate messaging.

There are more human voices.

And here’s where Wallafan fits into all of this

Creators are the new storefronts.

Their audience is their credibility.

Wallafan gives them a place to build that trust — without fighting algorithms or sacrificing identity. It’s where they can show:

• Who they are
• What they make
• the work behind the work
• The portfolio that proves their experience

Brands are already moving toward creator-led marketing.

Creators who show up professionally win the partnerships, deals, and visibility.

Because marketing is no longer corporate.

It’s personal.

And Wallafan is where personal becomes powerful.

Author Bio

Ashley is a busy wife and mother who can often be found listening to an audiobook while driving the mom taxi in a desperate attempt to cling to her sanity through the joy of escapism. Her love of reading inspired her to return to school, and she is currently finishing her bachelor’s degree in creative writing at Southern New Hampshire University. Being a mother does not mean you have to give up your dreams; her story is still being written.