Honesty, privacy, and platform ethics shape brand perception

The news: Consumers want brands to show up on social media as honest, original, and engaged, though risks remain around posting on social issues and chasing trends.

• 63% of Gen Z social media users in the US, the UK, Canada, and Australia are more likely to buy from brands that speak out on political or social topics, per Sprout Social’s 2025 Social Media Index report.
• Over half want brands to prioritize audience interaction (58%) and original content series (57%).
• 50% associate “bold” brands with honesty, more than with virality (35%), provocativeness (24%), or being unhinged and pioneering (23%).

Promoting beliefs: Maintaining authenticity online is tricky, since even the act of posting can carry political implications. While companies can’t please everyone, they should be transparent and aligned with their core values.

• 30% of social users are concerned when brands post content about social or political issues that conflict with their own beliefs.
• One-quarter are wary of brands partnering with influencers whose values don’t align with their own, indicating that brand voices aren’t all that matters—partnership decisions also carry weight.

Hopping on trends: Hitting on trending moments is a top concern for marketers, 22% of whom feel compelled to respond to viral social media moments daily or multiple times per week, according to Adobe Express, but that pressure may be self-imposed.

Only one-quarter of social media users want brands to prioritize jumping on viral memes, per Sprout Social, suggesting trend-hopping isn’t as important to audiences as companies might think.

Keeping it real: What matters more to users is transparency and safety, especially regarding AI-generated content, data privacy, and platform decisions.

• 52% of social media users are most concerned about brands posting generative AI (genAI) content without disclosures or mishandling personal data.
• 26% are uneasy about companies staying active on platforms with poor content moderation, suggesting that a brand’s digital environment can reflect its values and image.

Our take: To establish and maintain consumer trust and interest, brands should root their social strategy in authenticity. Aligning posts, partnerships, and platform choices with internal voices will help brands resonate more than chasing virality or clout.