New York, New York--(Newsfile Corp. - June 2, 2026) - Praytell, the creative communications agency that builds award-winning PR, social, creative, and influencer campaigns for brands including Burger King, Stanley 1913, Therabody, Destination Canada, and more, today announced the release of its annual whitepaper Centers of Influence: The Personality Era. The report uncovers the forces reshaping the landscape—specifically how evolving algorithms, artificial intelligence, and the emergence of infinite sources of information have fundamentally shifted modern influence. Conducted in partnership with independent research firm YouGov, the research surveyed 3,600 weekly media users across the United States, United Kingdom, and Australia.

Praytell's 2025 first edition of Centers of Influence, titled The Remix Era, highlighted how emerging media filled the trust gap left by traditional institutions; this year's research goes deeper into the psychology behind influence itself — who people trust, how parasocial relationships shape credibility, and the impact of AI on it all.

The 2026 report uncovers how the media landscape fragments, AI content saturates our feeds and information unfurls infinitely. Authentic human personalities—with all their unpolished edges and inconsistencies—have emerged as the most powerful unit of trust.

Key findings from the global report include:

• Vibes Beat Facts: Across all three markets, parasocial interaction scores are positively correlated with content credibility. That is: the more personally connected a respondent feels to a media personality, the more credible they rate that person and content, regardless of credentials, training, or institutional affiliation. A spokesperson, executive, employee, or creator who has built a parasocial relationship with an audience does not just carry a message, they carry the trust required to make that message land.
• Independent Creators Rival Journalists: Creators and traditional journalists are now nearly identical in their ability to drive opinion change, significantly outpacing personal, real-life contacts. The research found that traditional journalists drove opinion change for 31% of US respondents, 29% of UK respondents, and 35% of Australian respondents. Independent creators were nearly identical at 30%, 33% and 28%, respectively. Personal contacts, by contrast, accounted for just 4-6% across markets.
• Public Pushback on AI: Undisclosed AI usage causes a sharp loss in trust among the public when it comes to content they consume, according to 70% of US, 82% of UK, and 69% of Australian respondents. However, pledging to avoid AI in content actually provides brands with a measurable trust boost.

"Staying at the forefront of media evolution isn't just about spotting and reacting to surface-level trends, it's about the deeper structural forces that drive human behavior," said Beth Cleveland, Praytell CEO. "We invest in our Centers of Influence research because this data is the engine behind our work. These insights directly inform our comms strategies and creative campaigns, ensuring our clients are actively leading through authentic connection."

The research also highlighted that despite the clear influence of independent creators, traditional media outlets remain the most trusted source category across every market surveyed. Additionally, the data revealed a widespread collapse in media trust across all platforms in the United States, indicating that brands need new voices to earn attention, relevance and trust in this media environment.

"Our data proves that influence has less to do with expertise than it does with personal alignment," said Ciara Benko, Praytell Executive Vice President, Influence Department Lead and co-lead of the research. "Audiences evaluate who is saying something, not what they are saying, so in many cases, brands need to ditch the corporate speak and lead with relatable humans and clear points of view, through avenues that allow personality and authority to reinforce one another."

To help brands adapt, Praytell introduces a new three-layer impact framework mapping audiences and content to business results. This model maps out how influence moves across algorithmic "push" and intent-driven "pull" channels, demonstrating how brands can combine personality-driven attention with the critical third-party verification needed to build authority.

"AI chatbots are moving us from an attention economy into an intimacy economy, which changes the marketing funnel," said Nate Jaffee, Praytell Executive Vice President, Strategy & Innovation and co-lead of the research. "Earned media has a bigger role in The Personality Era because, in addition to discovery, it can uniquely build brand authority through third party verified sources that directly influence AI search. Designing integrated comms strategies in The Personality Era means planning for all three layers of today's media landscape."

To learn more about The Personality Era and how brands can build sustainable competitive advantages, visit praytellagency.com/the-personality-era. and you can always reach the team at hello@praytellagency.com.

ABOUT PRAYTELL
Praytell is a creative communications agency that drives influence by taking a remixed approach to earning attention across channels and platforms. We blend tried-and-true tactics with what's new and next to craft unexpected, culturally inspired campaigns that influence audiences, shape opinions, and spark conversations. Praytell's Creative That Earns Methodology delivers real attention with real impact for leading brands like Stanley 1913, Burger King, BWH Hotels, Peet's Coffee, Propel, Muscle Milk, Singapore Tourism Board, and Clairol. Learn more at praytellagency.com.

Praytell Agency

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Source: Praytell Agency