I am an avid TikTok user — for better or for worse, and maybe for a good time, not a long time. As such, I am proud to say that I have the reflexes of a cat when it comes to swiping past posts subtly labeled as “Sponsored” or, heaven forbid, those pesky TikTok Shop promotions. (And, no: The irony is not lost on me, considering my field of work.)

Amid a never-ending scroll, audiences (particularly Gen Z) have developed an uncanny ability to sniff out inauthenticity in the digital sphere. In turn, this has flipped the script when it comes to sponsored content and ads. We’ve begun to question the polished, high-production-value social media content and ask ourselves: If we make it intentionally messy, will people look? Turns out, that might be true. 

A 2022 study by Meta found that raw, unfiltered video led to greater audience results across technology, retail, restaurants, and e-commerce. On Instagram Stories, they found that self-recorded, mobile-shot video was 84% more likely to outperform studio-shot creative in terms of driving views, and 63% more likely to drive lower-funnel outcomes like purchases and app installs. Additional research shows that unedited clips remain one of the top video marketing trends, predominantly for social media ads. 

Candid and real posts, often designed to appear like they were created on the fly, grab attention. While grassroots, user-generated posts and videos (like a quick food review from someone sitting in their car) might make an art director squirm, they add a human touch that resonates. 

Of course, Redhead had to give it a go. Last year, we supported the School-Community Health Alliance of Michigan’s “Healthy Kids Learn Better” campaign, which aimed to communicate the benefits of school-based health centers to parents and guardians in target Michigan counties. The objective was to encourage these parents to advocate for opening a center at their child’s school. 

For social advertising, we worked with real parents and healthcare professionals to develop a series of front-facing testimonial videos, sharing their own take on the benefits of these centers. These were intentionally homegrown, and required just a few minutes of these individuals time to create. By focusing on genuine stories, we were able to add credibility, which was especially critical considering the personal subject matter (parents and their children’s health). In the end, these testimonial ads resulted in a click-through-rate of about 3%.

What do we think helped generate these results? Putting a face to the message. This is often where influencers step into the picture. Beyond reaching their own audiences, influencers serve as relatable spokespeople for a brand. And they don’t need millions of followers or perfectly curated feeds; micro-influencers or nano-influencers, with much smaller but highly engaged communities, can often deliver greater authenticity and a localized perspective. Their posts feel real, making them a valuable asset for organizations aiming to connect on a deeper level. For smaller organizations, these partnerships can create authentic connections that bigger campaigns might miss.

Still, before you slash your marketing budget and start posting the first thing that comes to mind, make note of this very important disclaimer: “Authentic” does not always mean “less effort.” In fact, it often means more. As a brand, curating content that looks phoned-in can require more strategy and budget than the alternative. There are factors to consider: Planning in advance to tie with your content calendar, coordinating spokespeople and influencers, providing direction for these individuals via scripts and talking points, ensuring messaging is on-brand, checking with legal, and deploying these posts to the right audiences.

It’s also important to remember that candid is not for every brand. Before you jump in, ensure this aligns with your identity, your channel, and your target audience. While this type of content tends to succeed in digital environments (particularly TikTok or Reels) with younger viewers, you wouldn’t want to send a homemade Microsoft Paint billboard out into the world. 

Striking the right balance between authenticity and brand consistency is crucial — but when executed strategically, it can pay off in big ways. The key is ensuring that even your most unpolished content aligns with your brand’s core values and voice. By embracing (or dare I say, curating) the mess, you create space for authenticity to shine, allowing your audience to connect with your message on a human level.