Franchise marketer warns AI 'slop' videos erode brand trust, pushes real customer stories
A franchise-marketing consultant describes testing three ad videos with brand leaders at a conference: two AI-generated clips (a talking abs-and-juice ad and an AI avatar reciting a firm's history) and one real franchisee testimonial. The real video drew unanimous approval while the AI versions produced little emotional response, prompting the consultant to cite Merriam-Webster naming 'slop' its 2025 word of the year and eMarketer research suggesting visible AI in marketing is roughly four times more likely to damage trust than build it.