Here Comes the AI Sponcon: Why Marketers Need to Rethink Influence Now

Remco Livain -

Something subtle but powerful is shifting in the world of digital marketing, and it has nothing to do with a new TikTok trend or another viral dance. It’s AI—again—but this time, it’s not about generative copy or customer service chatbots. It’s about something far more intimate: the face of your brand.

Last week, The Verge reported on TikTok’s expanded capabilities for its AI ad platform, Symphony. These aren’t just tools to create stylized videos or catchy captions. Symphony now allows brands to generate full influencer-style videos using AI avatars. We’re talking product hauls, app demos, even virtual try-ons—without a single human creator involved.

For marketers and business owners, this signals both a monumental shift and a set of urgent questions.

The End of the Influencer as We Know Them?

Social media has long relied on real people to sell products in relatable ways. That relatability, however staged, created trust. Influencer marketing thrived on personality, context, and an organic sense of “I use this, maybe you should too.”

But now, brands can bypass creators altogether. They can produce content that looks like a typical influencer post, with avatars styled to their audience’s preferences, saying exactly what the brand wants, in exactly the way it wants. No negotiations. No missed deadlines. No unpredictable variables. Just endless content on tap.

The efficiencies here are undeniable. You can customize messaging for each persona and market niche. You can translate instantly. You can scale like never before.

But what gets lost?

Marketing in a Post-Influencer World

Here’s where we have to think more critically. If everyone has access to the same avatars, the same tools, and the same ability to pump out polished branded content, then differentiation doesn’t come from the tech. It comes from tone, positioning, and clarity of message.

Remco Livain, a seasoned growth marketer and fractional executive, put it well: “It’s less about the person and more about the message or what you would actually like to create. You have to become hyper-sensitive to creating an image of yourself and your company that actually makes sense and adds value.”

In other words: Your content has to mean something.

This is a moment to refocus. Instead of chasing personalities, brands need to chase purpose. Instead of worrying about the next influencer scandal, they should be asking: does this piece of content reflect the real utility, story, or identity of our brand?

Opportunities for Those Who Adapt

Let’s be clear: this shift isn’t all doom and gloom. There’s an enormous opportunity here for creative marketers and brand builders:

  • Precision Messaging: AI avatars allow you to test different tones, formats, and messages quickly across markets.
  • Reduced Creative Costs: You can create multiple localized versions of a campaign without needing dozens of production teams.
  • Rapid Experimentation: A/B testing entire influencer personas to find the most resonant format is suddenly viable.

But the real differentiator will be how strategic you are about it.

How to Prepare: Actionable Tips

  1. Get Clear on Brand Voice: AI is only as good as the input you give it. Define your tone, language, and values now.
  2. Audit Your Content Strategy: Would your existing content stand out if it weren’t attached to a human face? If not, rework it.
  3. Develop Visual Identity Guidelines: As more content is generated synthetically, visual consistency will matter even more.
  4. Create Human-Led Anchors: Use real people for thought leadership, behind-the-scenes stories, or testimonials. Let AI support, not replace.
  5. Test Responsibly: Roll out AI-led campaigns on a small scale first. Check engagement. Gather feedback. Adjust accordingly.

The Real Question

In the future, when an ad is labeled as “AI-generated,” will audiences care?

They might—but only if it feels fake. And fake doesn’t mean “not human.” It means shallow, unrelatable, or overly generic. The real challenge isn’t AI replacing influencers. It’s lazy marketing replacing creative storytelling.

So, if AI is going to generate the face of your campaign, make sure you still control the soul.

Inspired by TikTok’s June 2025 announcement and reflections from Remco Livain, this post was written to help marketers adapt to a world where digital influence is no longer limited to humans.