In a Sea of AI Slop, Being Human is the Only Differentiator Left + Industry News and Insights
Field Tips is a biweekly email series bringing you the latest marketing trends and topics directly to your inbox. Covering everything from digital marketing and social media to content strategy and more, we curate the industry’s top stories and present them as easily digestible insights. The content contained within this post comes directly from our January 14, 2026 issue. If you’d like to receive Field Tips, subscribe to our email or on LinkedIn.
According to the Gartner Hype Cycle, disruptive technologies often see an initial boom of adoption followed by a period of failed implementations and public pushback. When it comes to AI – especially AI content – I think we’re firmly in this Trough of Disillusionment.
Almost overnight, generative AI has made it really easy to produce blogs and emails at scale. But, as we’re finding out, volume hasn’t necessarily translated into value – for producers or consumers.
So what’s a busy marketer to do? In a feed full of AI-generated copy, the best way to stand out isn’t a better prompt, but being human.
Here are a few ways to scale back the influence of AI while scaling the impact of your content:
- Use Your Experts. Your team is your best asset. Have them share their takes, not just reshare company posts. People trust people, not logos.
- Ditch the Polish. High-production has its place, but candid, behind-the-scenes content builds trust quickly. Don’t be afraid to show how the sausage gets made.
- Get Leadership Out There. I unapologetically love sharing anecdotes and bragging about the work we do. Beyond simple engagement, it signals accountability.
Above all, remember that AI may be efficient, but it can’t be authentic.
As AI adoption continues to increase, real expertise will become a luxury. Buyers are already tuning out faceless brands that are cranking out generic copy, and seeking connections with those that can prove their humanity – warts and all.
Need help humanizing your brand voice? Reach out to our team and let’s talk strategy.
Why “Vibes” & AI Summaries Will Define Brand Success in 2026
WHAT’S HAPPENING. Rand Fishkin’s latest forecast for 2026 suggests a seismic shift in how audiences consume information, predicting that internet users will consume 10 times as much content via AI summaries as they will through traditional long-form text. The report highlights five dominant trends: a dramatic plateauing of consumer AI adoption growth (even as corporate spending rises), the rise of “Vibes” over facts in shaping consumer belief, and the evolution of “Zero-Click” marketing. In this new landscape, platforms like TikTok, LinkedIn, and ChatGPT are increasingly biasing against external links, forcing brands to win attention within the platform’s own interface rather than through traditional web traffic.
WHY IT MATTERS. For marketing professionals, the metric of success is moving away from the “visit” and toward “influence within the feed”. As AI search and social algorithms prioritize engagement over outbound clicks, the value of a traditional follower is reaching an all-time low. Marketers must pivot toward Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) and “answer-first” content to ensure their brand is the one being cited by AI models. Success in 2026 will require building a brand “moat” through distinct human storytelling and authority that AI summaries can’t easily commoditize.
Early AI Signals From Holiday Sales
WHAT’S HAPPENING. Data from the 2025 holiday season reveals that while AI-driven traffic to e-commerce sites is still a small fraction of total visits, its influence is exploding. Adobe reported a 693% increase in AI-driven holiday traffic compared to the previous year, while Salesforce estimated that AI influenced 20% of total U.S. holiday retail sales. Interestingly, over 73% of these AI referrals came from desktop devices, suggesting that consumers currently prefer larger screens for the research-heavy, “shopping assistant” style of interaction that GenAI provides.
WHY IT MATTERS. This shift signals that AI is moving from a novelty to a foundational layer of product discovery. For marketers, the “AI-referred” shopper represents a highly qualified lead who has likely already completed the research phase via an AI agent. To capitalize on this, brands must prioritize “clean” product catalogs and structured data. As AI assistants become the primary filter for product comparisons in high-consideration categories like electronics and toys, being “machine-readable” is now just as important as being “human-readable”.
What Google’s New UCP Checkout Means for Your Brand
WHAT’S HAPPENING. Google has officially launched the Universal Commerce Protocol (UCP), an open-source standard designed to enable “agentic commerce”. This protocol allows users to research and complete purchases directly within AI Mode in Search or the Gemini app without ever visiting a retailer’s website. While Google frames this as a way to reduce friction and abandoned carts, it introduces a “Native path” where Google handles the UI and a “Business Agent” feature that allows branded AI chats to live directly on search result pages.
WHY IT MATTERS. This is a high-stakes trade-off for retailers: they gain access to customers at the peak of purchase intent but lose control over the brand environment and the ability to cross-sell onsite. By acting as the “transaction layer” of the web, Google could potentially fragment the customer relationship, making it harder for brands to build long-term loyalty outside of the Google ecosystem. Marketers must now decide whether to embrace these “Direct Offers” to stay competitive or focus on driving traffic to owned channels where they maintain full data and merchandising control.
More To Explore
Nearly Half of US Adults Say “Happy” Pharma Ads Feel Misleading
Nearly half of US adults believe pharmaceutical advertisements featuring overly happy patients are misleading, creating a disconnect between creative execution and consumer trust. This highlights a growing demand for authenticity in healthcare marketing, suggesting that professionals should pivot toward more realistic portrayals of patient experiences to maintain brand credibility. Read more about this on eMarketer.
YouTube SEO and the Rise of AI Overviews
Google is increasingly integrating YouTube content into AI Overviews, creating a massive opportunity for video marketers to capture prime search real estate. For marketing professionals, this means video optimization is no longer just for YouTube, but a core component of a broader SEO strategy to ensure visibility within AI-generated summaries. Learn more about this on Search Engine Land.
Gen Alpha Now Drives Half of Consumer Spend in US and UK
Gen Alpha is already influencing roughly half of all consumer spending in the US and UK, proving their power as a primary economic force despite their young age. Marketing professionals must recognize this demographic’s unique digital-first habits and high brand awareness to stay relevant in an evolving retail landscape. See the full breakdown on Retail Brew.
Rise of “AI Slop” on Pinterest
Pinterest is reportedly struggling with an influx of “AI slop”—low-quality, AI-generated content that clutters user feeds and degrades the platform’s visual discovery mission. For marketers, this emphasizes the need to double down on high-quality, human-curated visuals to stand out in an environment increasingly saturated by automated filler. Explore the impact on Wired.
How Rising Retail Brands Use Influencers to Combat Digital Overload
Direct-to-consumer and emerging retail brands are increasingly turning to influencer partnerships to cut through the noise of digital saturation and build genuine trust with consumers. For marketing professionals, this strategy is essential for bypassing ad fatigue by leveraging the established credibility and “human touch” of creators to drive high-intent engagement. Read more about this on Marketing Dive.
About the Author
A prominent marketing strategist and nationally recognized thought leader, Grant A. Johnson is president and CEO of Responsory. He is a sought-after public speaker, direct marketing trainer, copywriter, award-winning author and the creator of Direct Branding℠, Responsory’s method for producing sure-fire measurable results.
