From Authentic to Relatable: How Influencers Are Reshaping Brand Engagement in 2025

In 2025, relatability isn’t just a trend — it’s the heartbeat of influencer marketing. Gone are the days of glossy perfection and airbrushed aspiration. Today’s audiences are craving content that feels personal, valuable, and real. Over-curated is out. Aim for unfiltered, imperfection instead.

Brands are swapping pedestal-led personas for personality-led engagement. Think humour, meme culture, and emotionally honest storytelling. It’s less “look at us”, more “come hang out.” Even luxury brands — once bastions of exclusivity — are flipping the script. Take Gucci and it’s #GucciModelChallenge, for example. The campaign went viral thanks to its user-generated content, tapping up influencers and digital creators — from fashion YouTubers to TikTokers. It’s a standout case of how creator collaborations and behind-the-scenes levity can show that even a luxury brand can feel more human than haute couture.

Meanwhile, high street brands like Argos and Currys are going viral thanks to their staff’s lo-fi TikTok sketches and behind-the-counter comedy. It's not glossy. It’s not perfect. But it is relatable — and that’s exactly why it works. Today’s consumers want to see the human side to a brand. And that includes the bloopers, the rawness, the realness. Don’t censor it.

But relatability isn't just a buzzword; it needs to be baked into a content strategy from day one. It’s about partnering with the right creators – those with organic credibility and a finger on the pulse. For campaigns like Jack Daniel’s, Drink Me Chai, and VoucherCodes, we mirrored the tone, texture, and cadence of native influencer content, ensuring brand output doesn’t stick out like a sore #ad. The results speak for themselves: influencer content delivered a 104% higher engagement rate, drove 1,370% more link clicks than other assets, and achieved an 87.5% reduction in CPM – proving that relevance and authenticity aren’t just creatively effective, they’re commercially powerful too.

Influencers have the agility and insight to speak their community’s language – they live in the scroll. That’s why we don’t just collaborate with them – we co-create. Your briefs should come with clear brand guardrails, but you should encourage creators to interpret, not imitate. The best campaigns feel native to their feed, not bolted on.
Our advice would be to never rush into paid partnerships. It starts with genuine connection – getting the product in their hands, observing how it lands, and only then discussing formal collab opportunities. If it doesn’t feel like a fit, it probably isn’t. And that’s okay. Because forced chemistry shows.

And influencer marketing is getting bigger still in 2025. The data is loud and clear: gen z doesn’t want perfection. They want people. They’re trading celebrity polish for creators who show up authentically – imperfections and all. These creators aren’t just selling products; they’re selling their personalities. And that makes them not only more relatable, but more trustworthy.

What’s also exciting is how the impact of influencer campaigns is shifting. It’s not always about racking up likes or saves. The goal is conversation. Buzz that spills off-platform – in WhatsApp chats, on the 'Tube, over drinks. When people start saying, “Did you see that thing…?” – that’s when you know it’s working.

So, if you’re looking to lean into the power of relatability, here’s our quickfire playbook:

• Be picky with your partners: choose creators based on relevance, not reach. Tap into niche communities and reflect their interests across your channels.
  
• Think community-first: consider different subcultures, psychographics, and micro-moments to beat mass-market appeal.
  
• Play the long game: invest in relationships, not one-off transactions. Trust takes time to build.
  
• Start with authenticity, not payment: test the waters before talking fees. If the vibe’s right, the rest will follow.
  
• Let the messiness in: vulnerability, humour, chaos – it all adds texture. Perfection is forgettable. Realness is memorable.
  

In all of our noisy, crowded feeds, it’s relatability that cuts through. That means giving influencers some creative leeway and trusting them to know their audience best. And for influencers? It means holding onto the spark that made their content connect in the first place – honesty, entertainment, and human truth.

As Maya Angelou put it: People won’t remember what you said, but they’ll remember how you made them feel. In 2025, the brands that win are the ones that truly understand their audiences – and are committed to building lasting connections.

TSA is an influencer-led social media agency and is part of the independent creative agency Five by Five.