When everything looks generated, trust is the new advantage
AI tools have made it easy to create content quickly, but not all of it is of high quality. The recent “AI slop” debate, reignited by OpenAI’s Sora launch, has highlighted how low-effort, synthetic content is flooding feeds and blurring the line between what’s real and what’s not.
For brands, this isn’t just an entertainment issue. When everything appears to be generated, audiences stop believing what they see. Volume isn’t the advantage anymore. Trust is!
Speed without control is chaos
At Collective, we’ve seen how rushing into AI production without solid foundations leads to brand drift, correction loops, and wasted effort.
As Razorfish noted in Sora and the Age of AI Slop, “the mandate now is to cut through the slop, not add to it.” The next phase of influence belongs to brands that slow down, curate, and care.
AI needs structure to scale safely
Slowing down doesn’t mean doing less; it means building the right creative infrastructure first.
Unilever’s Desire at Scale programme is a strong example. By developing a Brand DNAi library of approved assets and digital product twins (physically accurate 3D models acting as a single visual source of truth), they’ve been able to accelerate content creation by around 30% without sacrificing quality.
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The brands that win the next phase won’t be the ones that make the most content. They’ll be the ones that scale at high quality, with content that’s compelling and unmistakably theirs.Stephen Barnes
Founding Partner, Collective
Craft and technology in balance
The fix isn’t to hit the brakes; it’s to start with quality, then automate from there.
- Start with truth: Build from crafted, verified foundations.
- Automate with repeatability: Utilise AI to extend and adapt, rather than replace judgment.
- Keep systems open: Ensure assets move cleanly between tools and teams.
- Protect the final pixel: Review and sign off like your reputation depends on it.
The brands that win won’t be those making the most content, but those scaling quality with consistency and intent.
