Brand authenticity fatigue is here
And alignment is taking its place
Hey Saturday Squad!
It’s spooky season and imo, Halloween is arguably the only holiday for which communities come together to be creative purely to create joy for themselves and others. My favorite event of the year is this weekend, a massive lantern parade that invites schools, local groups, bands, and residents to participate. I go each year and next Friday will hand out candy, and inevitably get emotional (especially when the teenagers come through, because it’s one of the few little remnants of them being a kid!) Ugh I’m already crying. I’m also on my annual tradition of indulging in Poe, Lovecraft, Sylvia Plath’s Ariel collection, and rewatching old Hitchcock movies (what is more spooky and cinematically gorgeous than Vertigo??).
Brand trend: alignment is replacing authenticity
Authenticity fatigue is here and alignment is taking its place
Audiences are tired of being marketed to under the banner of “authenticity.” Everyone’s “keeping it real,” but it all feels the same: performative, polished, algorithmically timed vulnerability.
In 2026 you’ll see a shift: brands are moving from authenticity to alignment.
People don’t want brands to be raw, they want consistency and reliablity. They’re not asking, “Are you human?” anymore they’re asking, “Are you consistent with what you say you stand for?”
Here’s what’s happening right now:
Influencer trust is falling: According to Edelman’s 2025 Brand Trust Report, only 37% of consumers believe influencer endorsements are credible, down from 51% last year.
Brands are tightening messaging: Companies like Ben & Jerry’s, Patagonia, and Liquid Death are doubling down on clear, values-driven storytelling (even when it polarizes) because alignment beats ambiguity.
AI’s forcing clarity: As synthetic content floods feeds, human alignment is the new differentiator. People want to know there’s intent and integrity behind the message, not just speed and scale.
Investors are rewarding coherence: In markets where “authentic” brand campaigns fall flat, consistent identity (think Lego, Costco, Nike) continues to outperform in reputation rankings.
All of this points toward a new truth: authenticity used to win attention; alignment builds trust.
Understanding alignment
Alignment really just means your brand behaves the same way it speaks. It’s when your story, decisions, and customer experience reinforce each other so audiences have no doubt they can trust you.
It’s the antidote to performative marketing. The brands doing it well aren’t the loudest; they’re the ones whose tone, visuals, and behavior feel inevitable.
How to build (and measure) alignment
Start by looking for mismatches. Pull up your most recent campaign, social posts, and internal brand guidelines.
Ask yourself:
Does what we publish match how we act?
Does our team experience reflect what we promise customers?
Do our metrics reward alignment (return, retention, advocacy) or attention (views, clicks, reach)?
Then pick one area to correct. Maybe it’s your tone of voice, your hiring message, or how your team talks about success internally. If you want a place to start measuring alignment, track how often your audience repeats your language back to you in comments, sales calls, Reddit threads, reviews, DMs, UGC, you get it.
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