Trust is getting harder to earn. And for marketers, that's only a growing challenge. In an environment defined by increasing digitization and fragmented channels, the pressure to chase short-term results is real. But the organizations that win long-term are those that invest in building credibility and trust over time.
The explosion of AI-generated content has accelerated this challenge. It's never been easier to create content and the result is that it's becoming harder than ever for people to tell the difference between what's real and what's not.
We commissioned Censuswide to survey 901 marketers and event professionals globally to understand exactly how this is playing out, and the findings are striking: 85% of respondents say AI-generated content has made it harder to build trust with audiences. So what does that mean for how we reach and engage audiences?
Key takeaways:
- 97% of marketers and event professionals say building trust is important to commercial performance
- 85% of marketing and event teams believe AI-generated content has made it harder to build trust with audiences
- In-person and virtual events create space for expertise, authenticity, and human connection, while social media and other digital channels can help extend that trust further
Why trust isn't a "nice-to-have" metric for marketing
With 97% of marketers saying trust is important to commercial performance, awareness isn't the problem. The harder question is how to actually build it. We're marketing in a world where buying decisions take longer, audiences are harder to reach, and attention is increasingly difficult to hold.
But that's not the only reason why the value of trust has never been more important.
Purchasing decisions are rarely spur-of-the-moment, particularly in B2B. Buying cycles are getting more complex, and more stakeholders are involved in evaluating risk and validating decisions. According to Forrester's State of Business Buying 2026, the typical buying decision now includes 13 internal stakeholders and nine external influencers.
This reality is reflected in the way audiences buy. As Kelly Cheng, CMO at Goldcast, explains:
"95% of the people consuming your content are doing just that; they're not in a position to make a purchase immediately. They're waiting for the optimal moment to buy. This means that only 5% of your ICP and personas are in a position to buy what you're offering."
The takeaway is clear. With only a small percentage of audiences in "buy-now" mode, their focus can't be solely on capturing immediate demand. Organizations must instead build awareness, credibility, and recognition among the larger audiences waiting in the wings that may purchase further down the line.
For many organizations, the solution to standing out in this new reality is to increase output. Their philosophy is simple: more content equals greater visibility, ensuring they are front of mind when audiences eventually become ready to buy.
However, increased production doesn't automatically translate to improved performance. Audiences, who were already inundated, are now being bombarded with content at a level never seen before, making it increasingly difficult to discern what's authentic, what's generic, and what's entirely fabricated.
AI has transformed the conditions under which trust is formed. With the barriers to content production reduced, the key is to identify which channels and environments are best-suited to nurturing trust.
How events can bridge the trust gap
Human interaction, transparency, and community: these are the traits that enable real-world experiences, virtual events, and webinars to create credibility in ways that other channels often struggle to replicate.
As Myllisa Patterson, VP of Demand Generation at Cvent, explains:
"Meeting someone, whether in-person or virtually, is the fastest way to build relationships. Being able to look someone in the eye, shake their hand, give them a wave: these actions build an element of mutual respect. Not only that, these environments allow you to assess if something is true and authentic, which is crucial in this era of doomscrolling and disclaimer checking."
The data backs this up: 84% of respondents say they have increased investment in in-person experiences as a trust-building channel over the past 12 months.
This distinction matters. It's easy for audiences to question the legitimacy of a nameless blog post or an obviously AI-generated LinkedIn update. Events remove that anonymity. By placing subject matter experts on stage alongside customers and industry peers, organizations can demonstrate expertise and credibility, while also strengthening relationships with audiences.
But the value of these events extends beyond the event date itself. Best-in-class organizations don't look at these experiences as one-off events. Instead, they position them as the foundation of their broader marketing strategy, with social media and other digital channels providing amplification:
- Emails with key takeaways and roundups sent to registered non-attendees
- LinkedIn posts highlighting results from Q&As and polls
- Instagram and TikTok posts featuring key moments from sessions
You can then use AI to help repurpose the raw, authentic, high-trust content captured at events, saving the hours you would have previously spent on these activities.
The next challenge: proving trust's value
It's time for organizations to shift their mindset. Events shouldn't be considered a resource drain. They are trust-generating engines that create the kind of authentic interactions audiences are increasingly looking for. But building trust is only part of the challenge. Yet despite their effectiveness, in-person events currently rank just fifth in overall marketing budget allocation. For marketers, the key is to prove the commercial impact these experiences have and make a stronger case to the budget holders who control where that investment goes.
Understanding why trust matters is one thing. Knowing how to build, scale, and measure it is another. Want to explore what the data says about trust, events, and how to measure their impact? Download The Trust Gap report.
