Ensuring authenticity to help build customer loyalty and brand awareness is not a new concept – but in a world where businesses are increasingly reliant on technology, there is a balance to be struck between optimising efficiency and upholding brand reputation.
Such is its importance, it was cited as one of the three main ways a brand can ensure loyalty in a Sitecore and Advanis survey of 20,000 UK consumers, along with consistency and transparency. Further research by Asendia states three quarters of shoppers were more loyal to authentic brands, and 65% would actually switch to a competitor if they felt their current retailer was not showcasing authenticity.
So, how do companies make the most of AI technology designed to improve their systems and processes, without this having an impact on attracting and retaining customers?
A human/tech balance
One of the crucial ways which companies can find that balance between authenticity and AI is by ensuring there is a human-led aspect to all of their customer-facing processes. Fully automating back office functions which are never seen by the outside world, such as stock monitoring or payroll operations for example, not only has no negative impact on brand perception but it can actually do the opposite, by freeing up staff to interact with customers and enhance service.
By contrast, using AI to generate content for social media could have a very real effect on perception of authenticity. The general public has become much more adept at noticing when posts have been written by an automated tool, and it’s no wonder given Capterra estimates that around 48% of business social media content will be created by generative AI this year (compared to 39% in 2024). In a digital world awash with this tech-written content, customers are increasingly drawn to brands which display a strong human voice in their posts – utilising humour, empathy and other very human traits which computers haven’t quite got the hang of yet.
Brands such as Dove, Heineken and Aerie have gone even further, by publicly announcing their intention not to use AI on their social media, with the latter – a loungewear brand – seeing a 75% engagement uplift thanks to their Instagram post on the subject, which was their most liked post of 2025.
That’s not to say AI can’t be used for customer-facing functions, but having a human oversight as well is crucial; businesses could try mixing the two by asking generative tool to provide content ideas, but then having a ‘real person’ write the posts to ensure authenticity.
Transparent about tech
Transparency often goes hand in hand with authenticity; after all, how can a brand be perceived as authentic if it’s seen to be hiding key information from customers? That’s why it’s crucial for companies to be upfront about how and when they are utilising technology. Not only does that honesty and clarity help engender customer loyalty, but it also ensures expectations are set from the beginning. People know which parts of the process will involve technology tools, and which will see them interacting with a person.
More than 60% of consumers responding to a global RWS survey said they would trust a brand more if they clearly disclosed how they were using AI. And it’s also worth thinking not just about being transparent, but also about how that messaging is conveyed – if customers understand how they benefit from the implementation of new technology within the business then they are more likely to be accepting of it. For example, brands can communicate that they are implementing AI for certain day-to-day functions, and how this will directly enable them to enhance their customer service, or how much quicker this will ensure processes run for customers. Not only is it difficult for people to raise objections if the use of AI clearly benefits the speed or quality of their interactions with a company, it also adds to the feeling of authenticity if companies are clear about why and how they are using AI.
Retain your identity
The very best brands have a USP, something which makes them stand out from their competitors and makes customers come back to them time after time. Their mission, values, brand positioning, and ‘voice’ will also be based on their USP, and will speak to a specific demographic of people (their target audience).
As great businesses scale up, they usually work hard to retain this USP no matter how many times their company undergoes expansion, diversification or a period of growth. It’s this refusal to lose sight of what made them unique in the first place, and what attracted customers to them, which helps them remain authentic.
This is where introducing AI as widely as possible can cause problems. AI output is only as good as the data it’s fed, meaning without company-specific information it’ll produce generic results which could relate to any brand in the same sector. So, it’s important to understand how to get the most out of AI, to ensure that any task you ask it to undertake is completed in exactly the same way that a staff member who fully understands and embraces your identity would do it.
Much like you train new employees, you need to train any digital tools you implement so that its use so doesn’t water down your brand voice, and cause you to lose that USP which you’ve worked hard to convey.
Ultimately, AI can be implemented without losing identity and therefore authenticity, but it is a fine balance to tread and companies must ensure they only introduce digital tools which genuinely benefit customers and staff alike, without impacting how their brand is perceived by their existing and target audience. And that can only happen when people remain front and centre of every decision; much like all good business decisions, considering first and foremost how the customer may be impacted and only implementing changes which have a positive effect is the key to maintaining that balance. Done right, having AI in place can actually enable the humans in your business to do what they do best, using their time to build trust, loyalty and genuine connections with customers. Lose sight of that and that’s when any semblance of authenticity is likely to dwindle, and people will look elsewhere to find that authenticity they crave.
