Deloitte puts a number on creator trust: 2.5 times likelier to buy

Deloitte's 2026 Digital Media Trends survey, which polled 3,518 U.S. consumers in May 2026, provides a quantified link between creator trust and consumer action. The study reports that consumers who trust a creator’s recommendation are 2.5 times more likely to make a purchase based on that endorsement. Among the 65% of surveyed individuals who engage with creator content, 60% have completed a purchase based on a recommendation within the last six months. This trend intensifies among younger demographics, with nearly 75% of Gen Z and millennial respondents reporting a purchase driven by creator influence. Furthermore, the data indicates a high degree of creator loyalty, with 70% of respondents returning to the same creators for future guidance. For brands and infrastructure providers, this research highlights that trust, rather than reach, is the primary variable driving purchase behavior. This shift suggests that marketing effectiveness accrues to specific, vetted creators rather than broad audience segments. For includX, these findings underscore the operational necessity of verifying creator authenticity and the depth of their relationship with an audience. The implication for brands is a move away from passive viewership metrics toward prioritizing creator-as-commerce partnerships, where the creator serves as a validated conduit for product discovery and conversion. By moving beyond aggregate audience metrics, brands can align their infrastructure with the specific creators who command verified consumer trust. This approach emphasizes the operational need for tools that can track follow-through, measure engagement depth, and facilitate direct collaborative efforts between creators and brands to capitalize on existing purchase intent. Ultimately, the data supports an infrastructure model built on real-world participation and measurable creator-brand connectivity rather than simple impressions.