There’s a trust gap between creators and their audiences when it comes to brand deals. According to Business Insider‘s Lucia Moses, a Morning Consult survey conducted exclusively for the outlet found that 69% of U.S. adults think creators should disclose paid promotions — but only about 1 in 4 think influencers actually do so consistently. The poll of roughly 2,000 people was fielded in September; Morning Consult‘s press release dates the fieldwork to September 23–24, 2026, among 2,003 U.S. adults. Mockingbird News also covered the Business Insider report on November 6.

Why followers tune out

Emily Steele, CEO of Hummingbirds, a marketing platform that connects creators with retailers, told Business Insider she blames the distrust on creators chasing a quick buck. “There are creators who only post UGC or sponsored content without any cohesion around what they’re posting about and why,” she said. “Why would I, as a follower, trust you when I feel like all you post is a paid brand deal?”

Creators themselves say they disclose more often than audiences believe. A recent SheSpeaks survey found that 14% of creators said they did not always disclose brand ties, while 18% said a brand had explicitly asked them not to disclose a partnership in the past year, according to Moses.

The stakes keep rising. Advertisers are expected to spend $44 billion with creators in the U.S. this year — more than tripling in five years — per the Interactive Advertising Bureau, Business Insider reported. As more ad dollars pour in, audience trust is what makes creators valuable to marketers in the first place.

Older audiences are hardest to convince

Age sharpens the skepticism. Fifty-three percent of boomers say influencers rarely or never clearly disclose paid deals, versus 21% of Gen Z, according to the Morning Consult survey for Business Insider. Boomers are also less trusting of influencers generally and more skeptical of recommendations.

Morning Consult’s broader release shows the split clearly: Gen Z and Millennials trust creator recommendations at 62% and 64%, buy from them regularly (48% and 52%), and get news from them (64% and 61%). Only 31% of boomers trust recommendations, and they are net-negative on creators’ societal impact. Earners making $100K+ also lean into influencers.

Leila Marsh, chief talent officer at The Drive Agency, told Business Insider that older audiences grew up with celebrity endorsements where the financial relationship was clear, while creator disclosures — like a small “#partner” tag on a mobile screen — can be unfamiliar and easy to miss. “They may fly under the radar until someone scrolls and sees ‘hashtag partner,'” she said.

Disclosure helps — and still costs trust

Creators face a catch: finding out that content is sponsored makes people across age and income groups trust it less. Food and beverage, beauty, and fashion lead creator-driven purchases, but Morning Consult found that 50% of buyers regret at least one creator-driven purchase, with regret highest among Gen Z and $100K+ earners — the groups who buy this way most.

There are still ways to make a sponsored post feel more authentic. The survey found people most trusted sponsored posts when the creator said what they liked or disliked, appeared to use the product themselves, and explained why they chose the brand.

Colin Rocker, a careers-focused creator, told Business Insider that balancing a brand’s message with his own voice is hard when audiences start from suspicion. “Most people that don’t create content have a base level of distrust today against content creators that we’re always up against,” he said.

Jennifer Santos, programs director of the Institute for Responsible Influence at the Center for Industry Self-Regulation, argued that concealment is what really damages trust. The institute’s 2025 survey found 7 in 10 consumers would feel deceived or negative toward a creator who did not disclose a brand deal. “Audiences respond to honesty, and they’re quick to punish anything that feels hidden,” she said. Santos believes trust will become a competitive advantage: creators who follow the rules consistently will be the partners brands want and audiences trust.

The takeaway

Creator marketing is a $44 billion U.S. channel, but the disclosure gap is now a brand-safety problem as much as a content one. For OnlyFans and Fansly creators who also sell through brand deals on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube, clear disclosure is not optional PR — it is the difference between a follower who sticks around and one who writes you off as an ad farm. Say what you like, show you use it, and explain the why. Honesty is starting to look like the scarce product in the creator economy.

Photo: Person using a smartphone, by cottonbro studio, via Pexels (free license).