Consumers ignore brand claims. What are you doing about it?

Brand claims are increasingly being ignored by consumers. As distrust mounts, digital noise, promises and traditional marketing tactics are creating an environment of skepticism that is harming brand reputation, and ultimately, market share

Anti-aging miracles, all-natural ingredients and radical claims derived from small, controlled research groups are now being met with resounding dismissal. Consumers no longer trust what brands say about themselves. Instead, they’re putting their trust in their peers.

Brand claims are out. Peer validation is in

For decades, brands invested heavily in advertising that claimed a product’s superiority over its competitors, often with celebrity endorsements. But now, this investment is yielding increasingly diminished returns. Data now shows that the majority of consumers trust advertising messages from corporate leaders at a worryingly low rate - around 30%, according to PwC.

In sectors like beauty and skincare, consumers are doing more than ignoring brand claims; they’re actively - and loudly - demanding evidence of a product’s efficacy. In the UK, 67% of consumers want beauty brands to provide more scientific validation of their products, and four out of five consumers are increasingly skeptical about ethical brand claims and sustainability efforts.

The only way to cut through this skepticism is for brands to provide verifiable proof of their claims. This comes in two forms:

• Clinical trial data, which offers objective scientific standards
• Peer validation, which offers relatable, authentic social proof.

Consumers have made it clear that brand claims can no longer rely on glossy, corporate manifestos. They want collective, authentic experiences provided to them by their peer communities that answers a single question:

Does this product actually work for people like me?

Transforming brand claims by earning trust through authentic experiences

Earlier this year, we hosted our Sopost Summit in New York. We discussed that consumer trust is broken - and what brands can do about counteracting high skepticism among consumers. We know that you can’t buy trust; it has to be earned. And brand claims that are backed by genuine, first-hand experience, amplified by authentic voice, are the ones winning consumer trust and loyalty.

The simplest path to rebuilding trust is allowing consumers to trial a product. This allows them to inform an unbiased opinion and share it transparently with their friends and family. Our hyper-targeted digital sampling campaigns place the right products in the hands of the right consumers, yielding high-quality, authentic feedback that validates brand claims.

For instance, we helped Hellmann’s launch a new product, generating a 92% recommendation rate and a 4.6 out of 5 product rating. This high recommendation rate is the definitive form of peer-to-peer validation, which drives market adoption far more effectively than any advertising can alone.

Similarly, we helped Jean Paul Gaultier to drive reviews and purchases, confirming that even high-value purchases rely on authentic, local user feedback for critical social proof. We achieved a 35% purchase intent rate post-sample, confirming that a verified trial successfully converts consumer interest into critical sales intent. This campaign did more than validate brand claims; it provided the brand with the necessary social proof to encourage more high-value purchases.

Equally, we supported Aveda’s launch of a new line, where 94% of consumers said they would recommend the product, and the campaign earned 580 five-star reviews. This demonstrates precisely how authentic trial instantly creates the social currency needed to build consumer trust in brand claims.

By providing some of the biggest brands in the world with recommendations and peer-driven advocacy, we’re able to initiate memorable first experiences that create relationships that convert skeptical consumers into loyal advocates. 

For example, Elizabeth Arden used SoPost digital sampling to drive 10x more visitors to their digital store, demonstrating that brand claims alone don’t convert - a trust trial, however, directly fuels high-intent traffic. This initial, personal experience entirely bypasses advertising skepticism, and creates organic brand awareness and advocacy that is inherently trusted.

Consumer cynicism, as we know, is also created when brands aren’t transparent around how consumer data is going to be used. However, when consumers request a sample through SoPost, they willingly start a conversation. This act of giving zero- and first-party data in exchange for tangible, valuable product experiences is, in itself, a trust building exercise for brands. The data they provide then allows brands to validate brand claims through personalized, post-sampling marketing journeys that, in turn, prove that each brand we work with values the relationship it has established with consumers beyond a single transaction. This transforms a one-time trial into an ongoing, trusted dialogue.

Redefine your brand claims & earn a lifetime consumer

Throughout 2025, consumers have been clear that brand advertising alone no longer works. As we approach 2026, brands need to pivot their marketing spend and stop telling consumers that they’re trustworthy, and start to prove it through authentic experiences.

After all, building trust is not a soft metric; it sits at the centre of long-term growth. 71% of Gen Z and Millennial consumers purchase exclusively from brands they trust. And to capture this audience, brands need to invest in genuine peer validation to cultivate lifetime consumers.

By enabling authentic product discovery, collecting honest feedback and gathering powerful peer recommendations, SoPost helps transform brand claims, providing the necessary framework to earn the trust and loyalty of today' s discerning consumers.

If you’re ready to shift your marketing strategy from untrustworthy brand claims to authentic, peer-led proof of efficacy, book a meeting with the SoPost team today.