86% of consumers make purchases through influencers: Ogilvy report

As the creator economy continues to evolve beyond content and influence, commerce is emerging as one of its most powerful extensions, reshaping how consumers discover and buy products.

According to the Ogilvy Social Lab report, creator-led commerce as a fast-maturing layer of the social ecosystem. It notes that 86% of consumers have made an influencer-inspired purchase in the past year, while affiliate revenues for creators doubled from $570 million in 2021 to $1.1 billion in 2024.

Brands must treat creator-led commerce not as a nice-to-have, but as a pillar of sales strategy. Think of creators as a sales team, not just a media buy, states the report. Invest in their success, leverage their talent, and actively build around them. The report emphasises that influence that feels earned and organic outperforms paid amplification. Brands thrive by aligning with voices that resonate deeply and authentically.

The report distils this into four patterns: The Rules of Realness, that shape how successful brands secure attention, meaning, and differentiation in 2026’s social context.

Trend 1: Intention Seeking

The report highlights a clear move towards more deliberate online behaviour. Around 50% of consumers have turned off notifications for one or more apps, while 20% say they have deleted a social media app in the past year.

As the content value exchange becomes more critical than ever, brands must shift from volume to resonance, delivering meaning over noise, quality over quantity. The report emphasizes that in this intentional era, brands succeed by earning deliberate attention through substance that people actively seek and save, not just passively scroll past.

Trend 2: Internet Intimacy

Smaller, interest-led communities are gaining momentum as users seek more meaningful interaction online. The report notes that 86% of Gen Z identify as fans, and 81% prefer to be defined by their interests rather than demographics. Offline extensions of these communities are also growing, with 75% of attendees saying immersive experiences help them disconnect and engage more meaningfully.

Brands must move from broad reach to depth, showing up consistently in niche spaces, fostering ongoing dialogue, and co-creating value. Real influence grows from sustained relationships and mutual belonging, not fleeting virality. The report stresses that in the intimate internet, brands build loyalty by being present in smaller, slower communities rather than chasing mass scale.

Trend 3: Process, Patina & Proof of Craft

In a feed increasingly populated by AI-generated perfection, audiences are gravitating towards visible human effort. The report cites research showing that 97% of people cannot reliably distinguish between AI-generated and human-made music, yet 98% of consumers say authentic images and videos are critical to building trust.

Brands must embrace imperfection and visible craft as strategic assets. Show the sketches, behind-the-scenes honesty, and human hands to build credibility. In a synthetic landscape, real effort becomes a differentiator. Brands that feel, earns the trust and resonance that polished fakes can’t match.

Trend 4: Hybrid Real-World Experiences

Trusting in an automated system is becoming more cautious, with 52% of people expressing hesitation about relying on AI. In response, users are turning to human curators like podcasters and niche creators, to navigate cultural overload. The report notes that 67% of global podcast listeners have made a purchase based on a podcaster’s recommendation, reinforcing the influence of trusted voices.

Brands must design for both screens and real life. Use social to spark offline impact, events, product trials, community meetups, or practical tools that solve actual problems. The report notes that the most powerful campaigns bridge digital and physical, giving people something to touch, do, or share in the real world.

Conclusion

Social with substance isn’t a passing trend; it’s the new baseline. In an era of overload, scepticism, and synthetic feeds, the most powerful thing a brand can do is keep it real, delivering value that resonates deeply, builds lasting trust, and earns attention that truly matters. The future belongs to those who give people something worth staying for.