The ad industry has always been ageist. So when Bram Williams, strategist and founder of AW (formerly Archibald/Williams), woke up one day to the sobering realisation that he was, in fact, the old guy now, he knew something had to be done.
Enter The Third Act, an AdNews exclusive series that aims to celebrate different generations within the industry and provide perspectives that everyone can learn from—or, at the very least, find mildly interesting.
In this article, Bram sits down with Natasha Polczynski, Account Director at Bashful, to discuss whether the social media influencer boom could be on the cusp of going bust.
When Bram started out in this industry 30-something years ago, the term 'Influencer Marketing’ didn't exist. The notion of one person telling another about a product or service they like, was simply referred to as Word Of Mouth, or perhaps being a Brand Ambassador. It wasn’t easy for brands to penetrate these conversations, as they had to impress consumers enough to stay front of mind. But once they were in, they were winning. People trusted the word of those they chose to surround themselves with, possibly because money didn’t have to exchange hands for said word. Fast forward to 2025, and brands have entire departments and strategies dedicated to Influencer Marketing, and as Tash points out, “Staggeringly, over 30% of Gen Z want to be an influencer when they grow up.” The influencer boom seems to have peaked, which begs the question, how sustainable is it really?
When the movement first took off, influencers’ credibility was derived from the fact that they were individuals, not companies. As Bram notes, “The rise of the influencer coincided with a notable decline in consumer trust in brands; they provided a perfect antidote for consumers navigating their way through the consideration phase of the purchase journey.” Acting as independent adjudicators, there was an air of authentication about them that felt trustworthy and believable. Nowadays, it seems like anyone can call themselves an influencer, achieve quite a significant reach in a relatively short space of time, and in some cases, not even be human (cheers to AI). “I have no doubt that the saturation of this space is having a negative impact on consumer trust.”
So, should brands still be relying on them moving forward? Tash thinks so. “Influencers are here to stay, and that’s a fact” she notes. “They present a unique way for brands to outsource the creation of fast, cost-effective, engaging content, which is something of a smoking gun”. However, she goes on to explain that brands need to be increasingly more sophisticated in the way they use influencers. “You can’t just throw an influencer in the mix and expect magic,” Tash warns. “It’s not just about working with someone who has a massive following; the real value comes from finding influencers who align with your brand’s strategy and DNA.”
Tash’s point is that consumers will always engage with content that genuinely resonates, and for that to happen, the content needs to stem from a killer consumer insight and be delivered through relevant, targeted media. You might argue that this is Advertising 101, but as the ‘Mindful and Demure’ overnight trend whirlwind taught us, an alarming number of brands continue to fall into the trap of reactive, short-term thinking. Remember folks, just because something is trending, doesn’t mean you should blindly jump on the bandwagon.
Another point of tension in this debate is how brands can tackle the ever-increasing issue of influencers scaling up from micro-voices to mainstream personalities. “At what point does an influencer stop being ‘real’ and start being a brand in their own right?” Bram asks. “Once they hit a certain threshold, the lines between influencer and traditional celebrity start to fade, and that’s where the challenge lies for brands. We see this time and time again, particularly in sport, which forms a significant proportion of our client base at AW.”
On this point, Bram and Tash agree, with Tash noting that as influencers become more like brands or businesses themselves, the expectation of genuine connection with their followers starts to fray. “At some point, they’re not just influencers anymore—they’re media moguls. And while that’s great for their careers, it presents a real dilemma for brands looking for authentic marketing.”
There is of course no tried and tested solution for this challenge since it’s a relatively new one in our industry, but both parties agree the key lies in the word Tash just used: ‘authenticity’. No matter the levels of stardom an influencer may reach, so long as the content they’re creating for you feels the same as it always has, it’ll work, and you’ll enjoy their expanded reach. The second it feels manufactured at all, walk away. As Bram states, “Consumers are smart. They know when something feels inauthentic. Never risk losing the essence of what your company stands for the perceived gain of being linked with a quote-unquote celebrity.”
As the coffee cups empty, Tash throws a wildcard proposition into the mix: “So far, the crux of our conversation has been whether influencers are as trusted these days. But speaking as both a social media native and someone who works in the space, I can’t help but wonder if we’re putting too much emphasis on it.” Social media is of course only one part of the marketing mix, and there’s an argument to say that other channels are better placed to move the dial on softer metrics like trust - or at least they’re better placed to do more of the legwork. Tash points out “Trust isn't necessarily the be-all and end-all on socials anymore. It’s more about engagement. People want to interact with content, not just passively absorb it. They want experiences, not just messages. Brands that not only tell a story, but invite the audience to be part of that story, stand out from an engagement perspective.”
Have we come full circle? Should social media go back to the purest version of itself, and exist simply as a place for personal networking and entertainment? Bram wouldn’t mind that (in fact, he’d quite like social media to be eradicated entirely, but that’s a topic for another instalment), particularly as it would help with his concerns about the democratisation of media. He states “We’ve seen how influencers have disrupted traditional media channels. But what happens when everyone has the power to create and distribute content? What does that mean for the structure of traditional brands?” It’s a valid concern, especially as influencers continue to shift the balance of power in the media space, making it harder for traditional brands to hold onto their authority.
The reality is that social media is an evolving beast, and who knows the direction it will take in the future, especially with the rise of things like AI being woven into our everyday interactions. But as this conversation comes to a close one thing is clear; influencer marketing remains a powerful tool if executed strategically, but should never be relied on as a primary method to achieve your brand goals.