{"slug": "study-finds-digital-influence-rising-but-consumers-trust-people-over-ai", "title": "Study finds digital influence rising but consumers trust people over AI", "summary": "A study commissioned by Chelsea Co. and conducted by Leadership Factor found that 75% of consumers over 55 dislike AI in drinks marketing, while 60% of 18-34-year-olds prefer human-feeling campaigns. Over 80% of respondents believe they can identify AI-generated content, and trust in human recommendations remains strong.", "body_md": "# Study finds digital influence rising but consumers trust people over AI\n\nThe Drinks Business reports research commissioned by drinks marketing specialist Chelsea Co. and conducted by Leadership Factor surveyed more than **1,000** adults who regularly enjoy alcoholic drinks. The study found generational divides on AI and digital communications: **75%** of consumers aged over **55** said they dislike the use of AI for any drinks marketing activity, while **60%** of **18 634**-year-olds said they instinctively prefer campaigns that feel human, the article says. The Drinks Business also reports that more than **80%** of respondents believe they can identify AI-generated content. The Drinks Business quotes Chelsea Anthon, founder and director of Chelsea Co., saying: \"People still trust people.\"\n\n### What happened\n\nThe Drinks Business reports that research commissioned by **Chelsea Co.** and conducted by **Leadership Factor** surveyed more than **1,000** adults who regularly enjoy alcoholic drinks. The Drinks Business says the study found clear generational divides: **75%** of consumers aged over **55** dislike the use of AI technologies for any drinks marketing activity, while **60%** of **18-34**-year-olds instinctively prefer campaigns and brands that feel human. The Drinks Business also reports that more than **80%** of the public believe they can identify AI-generated content.\n\n### What was reported from younger cohorts\n\nAccording to The Drinks Business, **75%** of **18-34**-year-olds are comfortable with AI for marketing provided brands are transparent about its use, compared with **7%** of consumers aged over **65**. The Drinks Business includes a direct quote from Chelsea Anthon, founder and director of Chelsea Co.: \"The drinks industry is waking up to a simple truth: standing out online now matters just as much as standing out on shelf.\" The Drinks Business adds that retailers, friends and family remain influential in purchase decisions.\n\n### Editorial analysis - technical context\n\nIndustry-pattern observations show that social and experiential categories often preserve strong trust in human recommendations even as digital discovery grows. Companies in similarly experience-led markets tend to combine digital storytelling with on-premise activations and peer recommendation to maintain purchase conversion, rather than relying solely on automated content.\n\n### Context and significance\n\nFor practitioners, the survey highlights two operational implications: first, transparency around AI use matters for adoption among younger consumers; second, trust anchored in human networks remains a key conversion channel. These are generic patterns observed across consumer-goods marketing studies and do not assert internal strategy or intentions by Chelsea Co.\n\n### What to watch\n\nObservers should track whether subsequent consumer studies replicate the **75%/7%** generational split and whether brands publicly adopt transparency labels for AI-generated creative. Also watch campaign case studies that explicitly link digital content to in-person tasting or retailer endorsement, as those examples will illustrate practical approaches to combining digital influence with human recommendation.\n\n## Scoring Rationale\n\nThis is a sector-specific consumer-survey result with limited technical novelty but useful implications for marketers and data teams. It matters to practitioners planning consumer-facing AI content, but it is not a core-model or infrastructure story.\n\nPractice interview problems based on real data\n\n1,500+ SQL & Python problems across 15 industry datasets — the exact type of data you work with.\n\n[Try 250 free problems](/problems)", "url": "https://wpnews.pro/news/study-finds-digital-influence-rising-but-consumers-trust-people-over-ai", "canonical_source": "https://letsdatascience.com/news/study-finds-digital-influence-rising-but-consumers-trust-peo-ac8e587c", "published_at": "2026-06-16 09:20:25.977187+00:00", "updated_at": "2026-06-16 09:20:28.064629+00:00", "lang": "en", "topics": ["ai-ethics", "ai-products"], "entities": ["Chelsea Co.", "Leadership Factor", "Chelsea Anthon", "The Drinks Business"], "alternates": {"html": "https://wpnews.pro/news/study-finds-digital-influence-rising-but-consumers-trust-people-over-ai", "markdown": "https://wpnews.pro/news/study-finds-digital-influence-rising-but-consumers-trust-people-over-ai.md", "text": "https://wpnews.pro/news/study-finds-digital-influence-rising-but-consumers-trust-people-over-ai.txt", "jsonld": "https://wpnews.pro/news/study-finds-digital-influence-rising-but-consumers-trust-people-over-ai.jsonld"}}