In an age of authenticity, is your favourite influencer a brand?

In recent years, there has been a shift in attitudes toward influencer authenticity and what followers consider genuine content. This was most notable following the pandemic, when elaborate hauls and seemingly perfect, curated lives lost their appeal. Followers began seeking more relatable content that aligned with their own experiences.

Following the recent surge of the ‘de-influencing’ trend, a direct counter to ‘overconsumption core’, many influencers are now discussing products and commodities they would not recommend purchasing. This is an attempt to cut through the oversaturation of ads on platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube.

To gain a better understanding of this new era of authenticity, we spoke to Jess Pritchard, a fitness trainer and wellness entrepreneur. Jess has built a dedicated community of followers by empowering people to confidently ‘take up space’ in their lives. Through her collaboration with leading brands like 1Rebel and Oysho, Jess explored beyond typical fitness content to focus on the deeper connection between physical and mental well-being.

Defining authentic personal branding

According to data from TikTok, after viewing an in-feed ad featuring a creator, 61% of users said they believed the brand the creator shared was involved in creating the ad. This statistic, combined with the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) cracking down on advertisement disclosure to consumers, reveals how modern consumers are more aware of the dynamics behind brand collaborations and advertisements on social media platforms. Consumers are more accepting of sponsored content as long as it aligns with the influencer’s personal brand and the endorsement feels authentic.

Jess defines authentic personal branding as presenting one’s complete self, including imperfections and brilliance, both online and offline. Her personal brand is built on the belief that individuals are inherently allowed to occupy their own space exactly as they are. This means she actively avoids presenting a curated version of herself, instead choosing to share genuine experiences ranging from positive moments like gym highs and journaling successes to challenging times such as off-days and wobbles. Ultimately, for Jess, it is not about achieving perfection but staying true to who you are.

The journey to brand discovery

Before the recent shift towards more genuine sponsorships that align with influencers’ personal brands and identities, brand collaborations were typically one-off, short-term partnerships based solely on follower count. More recently, the focus has shifted to whether a brand’s values, mission, and products align with the influencer’s core identity, favouring smaller ‘micro-influencers’ with fewer followers but higher engagement rates and longer-term partnerships. This is why successful creators focus on developing a unique personal brand that naturally attracts collaboration opportunities.

Jess’s approach to authentic alignment comes from personal experience. Her ‘lightbulb moment’ came when she realised she’d spent years making herself smaller to fit into spaces that just weren’t right for her. This insight changed everything and it became the foundation for building a brand around the advice she’d always given her clients to ‘take up their space’. Everything she does now, from fitness classes to her journal club, stems from her own struggles with grief and body image, driven by a passion to help others redefine their relationship with themselves.

Nurturing genuine community and connection

Trust plays a massive role in creating genuine connections with audiences and directly impacts credibility. When an influencer is perceived as trustworthy and authentic, their credibility transfers to the brands they endorse.

Jess believes that people ‘crave connection, not curation.’ She builds this trust by showing up as her full, honest self, whether she’s sharing her vulnerabilities or engaging in a candid conversation. To her, meaningful connection is personal and direct. She describes it as ‘responding to comments like I would a friend in a coffee shop’ and ‘holding space for each other’s growth’ beyond just liking posts. These types of interactions are key to successful social media management.

The MIRRA Journal Club, founded by Jess, is the physical manifestation of her personal outlook. Described as a ‘self-love movement’, it’s a creative journaling club for ‘self-reflection, connection, and personal expansion’. The club’s mission is to provide a real-life space for people to ‘pause, write, and show up more fully’, free from judgment. The club directly addresses the need for permission to ‘be in the feels’, which Jess says is especially important in the wellness space as ‘people don’t need more pressure to be perfect – they just need permission to be themselves’.

The price of authenticity

The expectation for influencers to be constantly unfiltered and ‘real’ creates new challenges. These include knowing what to share and what to keep private, maintaining healthy boundaries with their audience, and managing the mental health toll of balancing their online persona with reality.

Jess explains that especially within the fitness world, ‘where aesthetics can overshadow authenticity’ and where comparison is ‘the classic thief of joy’ she feels a constant pull to ‘polish things up’ and only present a version of herself that looks successful. However, she actively resists this pressure, reminding herself that her uniqueness is her power. While her focus on self-love and confidence might not be as ‘sexy and quick hitting’ as content centered on fat loss or fleeting trends, she remains committed to cultivating a corner of the internet where people feel genuinely seen, heard, and inspired. Her goal isn’t to be perfect, but to be a source of confidence and a welcoming community.

The future of influencing

Authenticity is clearly not just a passing trend, as Jess describes it the future of influence is unapologetically ‘human-first’. We are moving away from an era of polished perfection and toward one where creators are ‘ditching the script and choosing substance over style’.

As Jess notes, ‘influence won’t be about how many people watch, it’ll be about how deeply they care’. This redefines the metric of success, suggesting that while communities born from transparency may be smaller, they are infinitely deeper and more resilient. She argues that by choosing honesty over aesthetics or fleeting trends, creators can build a far more sustainable and soulful online space.

To find out more about Jess and her work, you can follow her on:

Instagram: @pritchard_jess
TikTok: @pritchard_jess

At Click Consult, our content and influencer marketing services are designed to ensure that campaigns are authentic and honest. We carefully identify influencers who truly align with a brand’s story and values. This focus on genuine collaboration, combined with our in-depth reporting, helps us create campaigns that resonate with audiences and uphold the principles of clear and honest ad disclosure.