Morning Consult-Business Insider Exclusive Survey Analyzes Influencer Trust and Authenticity

Morning Consult partnered with Business Insider on an exclusive survey exploring how influencers shape consumer trust, purchasing decisions and political opinions, and what audiences expect from creators when it comes to authenticity and transparency. The survey was conducted September 23–24, 2026, among a nationally representative sample of 2,003 U.S. adults. For the full dataset, email press@morningconsult.com.

Key takeaways

• The influencer trust gap is generational: Gen Z and Millennials trust creator recommendations (62%, 64%), buy from them regularly (48%, 52% often/sometimes), get their news from them (64%, 61%), and say creator content has shaped their societal and political views. Boomers are skeptical on nearly every measure — only 31% trust recommendations, 43% never bought based on one, and they are the only generation that is net-negative on creators' societal impact (31% negative vs. 17% positive).
• Higher earners lean into influencers too, not just younger people. On trust, purchase frequency, political influence, and creator aspiration, $100k+ earners consistently out-index lower income bands, alongside the generational pattern.
• The disclosure gap is a live brand-safety issue. 69% of adults think creators should disclose paid promotions, but only 1 in 4 think creators actually do it consistently. Finding out content is paid makes people across every age and income group trust it less, especially Boomers and Gen X.
• The commercial upside comes with real downside risk. Food/beverage, beauty, and fashion are the leading creator-driven purchase categories, but half of all buyers (50%) regret at least one creator-driven purchase. Regret is highest among the groups (Gen Z, $100k+) who buy the mostthis way.

Methodology: Morning Consult-Business Insider poll, fielded September 23–24, 2026, among 2,003 US adults. For more details, email press@morningconsult.com.