Double Forte

AI

June 17, 2026

How Brands Stay Real in the AI Era

By Monica Rolbiecki-Severson

AI seems to have taken over our screens with generated images, captions, ads, emails, and customer service responses. Consumers are fed up. Recent resentment towards AI isn’t necessarily aimed at technology itself. The sentiment stems from a deeper-rooted human need for connection.

As more brand communication starts to look and sound the same (*read, boring and soulless*), people are looking for proof that there are real humans behind the message.

For brands, this presents a clear opportunity: create moments that spark human connection. Here are three ways to do so.

1. Let personality shine through on socials

Polished content has its place. But in the AI era, perfect feels suspicious. A recent Accenture report shows that 45% of consumers distrust AI-generated content that lacks personability. In contrast, less polished social media content allows brands to say, “We’re human, too.” Sharing a quick phone video, a raw conversation, a behind-the-scenes moment, or a clear point of view will make a bigger impression than an overproduced asset.

Importantly, unpolished doesn’t equate to lowered standards. It means leaning into authenticity and personality to build trust with your audience.

Taco Bell does this well. Their Instagram shares unfiltered content, frequently reposting fan-created content that feels spontaneous, imperfect and entertaining. By embracing user generated content (UGC in the biz), Taco Bell allows its personality to come through while engaging its existing community. And personality gives viewers something to connect with and relate to.

2. Put real people at the center

The most effective brands make their people visible. Instead of relying solely on product shots or carefully scripted campaigns, they highlight founders, employees, customers, and experts.

That might look like a founder filming a quick video explaining why they created the product. An employee sharing how they use it in their daily life. Or a brand taking its product into the real world with a pop-up and capturing unscripted reactions from people interacting with it for the first time.

People help audiences understand not only what a brand is, but also who’s behind it and why it matters.

Aerie, a popular intimate apparel, loungewear, and activewear brand, offers a strong example. The brand pledged not to use AI-generated bodies or people in its ads. The move aligned with its long-running commitment to real, untouched imagery, and became its most-liked Instagram post in the last year.

3. Be a catalyst for community

We’re in the midst of a what the American Psychological Association calls a “connection crisis.” Brands can show up by creating spaces where people feel seen, welcomed and part of something larger than a transaction.

Community can take shape in person: weekly mahjong nights at a local restaurant, local clothing swaps, a dedicated tech-free “analog” zone at a cafe, and interactive pop-ups. It can also happen online through social content designed to spark conversation, customer groups, ambassador programs or forums where people share ideas and recommendations.

At Sonoma’s Dutcher Crossing Winery, community is second nature. The winery brings people together through regular local events that feel like family gatherings. The proprietor and winemakers are often part of the experience, grilling, talking with wine club members, and on occasion giving guests vineyard tours by pedicab. (Full disclosure: DCW is a long-time Double Forte client.)

Heineken executed on a similar idea with a simple billboard statement: “The best way to make a friend is over a beer.” The message works because it focuses on the human moment around the product, not the product alone.