April 4, 2025
Every era is defined by its unique advancements. This time, it is AI (artificial intelligence). But we also know that with power comes responsibility. The rise of AI has certainly equipped us with better productivity, as has the influx of fraudulent content. We face a looming trust crisis, and authenticity will be your competitive advantage.
What is the authenticity advantage, and why does it matter now?
The 6 trillion dollar commerce industry faces a challenge of authenticity. Therefore, trust is no longer a soft value — it’s a hard growth driver. It is not the future; it is present, with repercussions limited to not only reputation but also monetary.
Authenticity is the currency your consumers rely on to make decisions, meaning that from discovery to purchase, brands and retailers must reflect this at every step of the shopper journey.
As pioneers of UGC (user-generated content), Bazaarvoice Summit 2025 marked the event with a powerful keynote by our Chief Customer Growth and Retail Officer, Doug Straton on the trust crisis shaping our industry and path forward.
Why trust is everything in commerce today
“Trust arrives on foot and leaves on horseback”
Johan Thorbecke
Today’s world has reached an inflection point with AI-generated content, fake reviews, and misleading claims flooding the digital shelf. Consumers don’t know what to believe – and regulators are stepping in with serious consequences. Hence, defining your brand authenticity is more important than ever.
According to the Shopper Preference Report 2025, 52% of consumers say that overly promotional and salesy content are signs of inauthenticity. Transparency isn’t optional; it’s expected.
The rampant increase in fraudulent content all over the internet must be taken seriously, as it misleads consumers and can have serious consequences. In response to this consumer trust emergency, different regulatory bodies have introduced penalties for the inability to maintain trust signals; here are a few of them-
- USA- FTC has introduced a fine of up to $50,000 per fake review
- EU- Omnibus Directive bans fake and deceptive reviews and fines of up to 4% of global turnover or €2million
Look at Fashion Nova, a major fast-fashion brand that had to bear the loss of inauthenticity worth $2.4 million and the cost of reputation. All this because it hid negative reviews from its customers.
Key takeaways on Authenticity from Summit 2025
1. Consumer trust is shaping the future of commerce
Maria Arbalova, a consumer expert, says that brands can’t scale without creating meaningful and memorable interactions that resonate with consumer values with the help of UGC.
Building brand authenticity requires the power of consumer trust, and a lack of it leads to lost conversions, lower loyalty, and reputation damage.
2. Authentic experiences = Stronger engagement and lifetime value
52% of shoppers prefer to see real, credible content before purchasing. Authentic reviews increase conversion rates by 120% vs. generic product descriptions. This builds product authenticity and an increase in customer loyalty by 2.4x.
According to Shopper Preference Report 2025, 47% of shoppers prefer organic peer reviews and recommendations as top pre-purchase tools. A prerequisite for the path to purchase is driven by social proof and peer validation, which leads to a 3.2x higher lifetime value.
3. User-generated content is your most credible growth asset
UGC builds trust at every funnel stage, from awareness to loyalty. Lindsey Aitken, Senior Director of eCommerce at The Coca-Cola Company, says sampling-driven UGC increased conversions by 30%.
The importance of authenticity lies in understanding that people buy from people. That’s why authentic consumer voices outshine polished brand content. This holds true for Beko, as they mentioned that real-people products in real homes performed better than polished studio images.
4. Real-world proof: Brands and organizations doing it right
Emphasizing the shared responsibility for cultivating and safeguarding authenticity is on brands and retailers.
And whilst the burden of it resides on the brand, but so much of it is now being communicated from consumer to consumers in terms of what they believe about the brand.
Oshiya Savur, Chief Brand & Marketing Officer, Maesa
Engaging directly with consumers transforms brand perception and loyalty.
What really changed my business is when we started speaking directly to the customer in a very authentic way.
Melinda Maria Spigel, Chief Creative Officer & Founder, Melinda Maria Jewelry
Protecting consumer trust and why it’s critical in maintaining consistent authenticity across all digital and physical touchpoints.
We’re at such a precarious moment where undermining trust in one area will have this spillover effect, in many other, you know, in really critical industries too…… So industry actors being able to say, this is what has worked for us. How could we improve it? How could we scale it? How could others learn from us too?
Stefan Hall, Director- Digital Innovation & Impact, Consumers International
I think it is making everything a lot harder to believe as a consumer, and we’re going to need just more and more proof that what we’re looking at is authentic. And I think that’s why we’re seeing more lives and more podcasts because it is perceived in a way that it is harder to make when you’re live.
Maria Arbalova, Consumer Expert
I use ChatGPT sometimes when I wanna do some research. I don’t necessarily go on the chat. It’s like, hey chat, write me a full script for a video about, I don’t know, plants. But it’s, me personally I like to make the videos, whereas I go on chat to be like, chat I have a question about this specific thing. Can you tell me in like three lines? You know?
Kenzo Mizumoto, Content Creator
Bazaarvoice is raising the bar with industry-first innovations
The online shopping landscape is facing a credibility challenge due to the influx of potentially inauthentic user-generated content. Both brands and consumers express a desire for a solution that restores trust. A third-party verification system—a trust signal that would independently validate the authenticity of reviews and ratings—would provide assurance and foster a more transparent and reliable e-commerce environment.
- 79% of brands are willing to outsource website content authenticity verification to ensure shoppers trust
- 52% of shoppers say they won’t buy a product without seeing authentic content first
It all started 11 years ago with the release of the Bazaarvoice authenticity policy, which checks and validates the content to determine whether it’s trustworthy.
We distinguish ourselves not merely as a technology partner but also leverage our expertise to advocate for industry best practices and drive initiatives that enhance transparency and safeguard the digital marketplace.
Bazaarvoice utilizes advanced detection technology to combat deceptive practices, and the Bazaarvoice Trustmark has now become its evolved version called Bazaarvoice Intelligent Trustmark, which takes care of your brand authenticity and product authenticity.
How our clients have incorporated Bazaarvoice Intelligent Trustmark:
Here’s the official announcement of the Intelligent Trustmark, a dynamic new standard to certify verified, trustworthy UGC—it’s launching soon in May!
With that in mind, it’s time to introduce the Authenticity Alliance. It is a cross-industry collaboration with Consumers International and other founding members in discussion to establish standards, fight fraud, and educate consumers.
Keep your eyes out for more information.
What’s next?
Whether you care about brand integrity, customer experience, or conversion rates, the future belongs to businesses that protect and prioritize authenticity.
Watch Doug’s Summit keynote and the follow-up panels for:
- The urgency of the trust crisis
- The financial, reputational, and brand stakes of ignoring it
- And the solutions already being built by those leading the way
Winning trust isn’t an afterthought – it must be a fundamental part of your growth strategy!
Watch the Summit on-demand sessions to leverage the authenticity advantage.
