In an age of AI-generated content, authenticity has never been more valuable. The brands thriving today are empowering employees and communities to tell stories no algorithm can replicate, believes Co-Founder & CEO of  Aurora, Dawn Paine. 

Can you imagine a work culture - where people used to get into the office at 6am to put their coats on the back of their chairs to show the CEO they were in! Yes, work culture circa 30 years ago - Dixons Stores Group. One of my first jobs after Uni - a veritable cutthroat pressure cooker!

Fast forward to 2026, and Currys is one of the best, most brilliant examples of people and culture-powered marketing powerhouses. Fun, authentic, playful - I love it! 

And it's part of a wider trend - and I'm absolutely here for it..

The rise and rise of People Powered Marketing 

From Currys plc to Marks and Spencer, it seems many of the big brands are realising that the ULTIMATE secret sauce to a powerful brand and campaign is not perhaps the final consumer (of course they’re key too) - but their own employees.Or their fans. Their communities. Truly purpose and values led organisations can use their army of advocates to literally be their marketing evangelists. Every member of staff, a digital marketer with a mobile phone and access to social media. And if these armies of employees believes in what their company stands for - wow, can they be powerful 

Retail marketing for decades tended to err on the functional, often price led, a tad drab and unemotional. That’s well and truly gone! Hell no. Currys literally let their people have fun - creating funny, authentic UGC content creating that holy grail of marketing - virality. Building magnetic, modern, relatable brands that delight. They have a whole lot of fun with their competitors too - happily ribbing their peers at an Argos over the road!

That’s People Power using staff and employees. But fandoms and communities represent another glorious place for creativity and imagination to flourish. None better than Cannes Lions winning Vaseline - whose superb understanding of what makes their brand tick in real life has driven an unprecedented cultural resurgence for this 153-year-old icon, using a viral and social first movement rooted in authentic storytelling.

The brand observed that more than 3.5 million Vaseline hacks exist online – from how Vaseline was used for beauty advice to DIY, photography and even pet care. The Vaseline Verified campaign, which launched in March 2025, saw real scientists put these tips to the test in the lab, debunking the myths and validating the hacks that work with a Vaseline Verified seal.  This gorgeous campaign embraced the idea that the people who use and love Vaseline are at the heart of the brand. People Power right there.

By celebrating their creativity and inviting over 450 influencers to co-create content, Vaseline sparked even more of it. The result? Vaseline amplified the voices of its community, reclaimed relevance and reshaped how Gen Z sees, uses and talks about its products.

“Vaseline Verified started as a very simple idea and became the principle of how we use brands in the social age. It completely changes the way we do marketing for our brands… it is totally community-led, culture-driven and earned first”- Nathalia Amadeu, Global Brand Director for Vaseline, who you can hear talk at MAD//Fest London next month! 

Authenticity. Community, Empathy. These are the traits of beautifully people-powered brands. These are the brands which will remain timeless and iconic - their humanity and real connection standing out like a gorgeous, shiny beacon in a world of increasing AI slop!

The ones forging belonging, rooted in truth - are the ones that will truly glow and inspire from the inside out. And will thrive commercially.

I think that’s what’s called a win: win.