Trust in traditional institutions is eroding. As customers lose faith in advertising, government and even online reviews, they're turning to voices that feel most relatable: peers and communities. Edelman's latest Trust Barometer shows the most credible spokesperson for a company is now "people like me." Ben Shaw and Professor Ryan Hamilton explore the decline of influencer credibility, the rise of community-driven word-of-mouth, the tension between authenticity and control, and why attention + trust will be the "coins of the realm" for brands in the decade ahead.   🔑 Key Takeaways Trust > control – brands that over-engineer influencer content or product placement erode the very authenticity that made those channels effective. Attention + trust are today's scarce currencies – in an AI-shaped customer journey where deep-fakes, fake reviews and scam sites abound, both are harder to win. Community is the new battleground – brands should put the "social" back into social media: support micro-communities, forums and peer-to-peer validation rather than chase mass reach alone. Influencers ≠ "people like me" anymore – audiences are starting to view most creators as a separate, commercial class. Virtual influencers may be a short-lived novelty – unless treated as fictional characters with entertainment value and transparent intent. 📚 Resources Mentioned / Referenced Edelman Trust Barometer  G2 crowd / peer-review sites – cited B2B tactic to harness "people like me." Case notes: Super Bowl celebrity ads vs brand recall, Vodafone Germany's virtual influencer, Colonel Sanders' virtual persona.

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