AI is becoming the first place holiday shoppers look for gift ideas, but a real person is still what convinces them to buy. Two-thirds of adults plan to use AI for holiday shopping this year, according to a Harris Poll survey. With Cyber Week four weeks away, marketing experts advise brands to show real people at the center of their holiday videos.
“These days, a lot of people check with AI before they buy anything,” said Donatas Smailys, co-founder and CEO of creator ad platform Billo. “Brands see that, and an AI video is cheaper than paying a creator, so it’s easy to think the ads should be created with AI too. The problem is that AI only gets shoppers halfway. It can narrow down the options, but before people spend their money, they want to see a real person use the product. An avatar can’t give them that, because it has never used anything.”
AI finds the gift, but real people convince shoppers to buy
In a global study, IAB, the trade group for the digital advertising industry, surveyed 2,200 people who had recently used AI for shopping research. Some 56% said they prefer AI suggestions that include a creator’s take, and 65% said credible creator reviews make them more confident in what AI recommends. Asked whom they trust most, respondents picked everyday consumers (52%) over professional reviewers (43%).
“AI shopping makes real people on screen more important,” Donatas Smailys said. “Shoppers now get the prices and specs from AI before they ever visit a store’s site. What they still need is to see someone like them use the product and say whether it was worth the money.”
AI avatars can’t convince shoppers to buy the way real people can
AI tools now let brands make video ads without hiring a creator. TikTok, for example, offers advertisers ready-made AI avatars that can present a product on camera. Marketing experts say some brands are turning to such tools to cut holiday costs.
“An AI avatar can read a script, but it has never used the product,” Donatas Smailys said. “Shoppers who come from an AI recommendation are looking for someone with real experience. However, an avatar gives them one more polished pitch.”
Brands have the most to lose with younger shoppers, because they rely on AI more than any other group and still want real creators behind its suggestions. In the Harris Poll survey, 83% of 18- to 34-year-olds plan to use AI for holiday shopping. In the IAB study, Gen Z and millennials were nearly twice as likely as baby boomers to prefer AI recommendations that include creators.
Three steps brands can take before Cyber Week
Donatas Smailys suggests three steps for brands planning their holiday videos:
- Film real people using the product. AI can list a jacket’s features, while a creator can show how it fits after a full day of wear. That kind of detail is what shoppers look for after they get an AI recommendation.
- Choose everyday creators over follower counts. A parent who uses a stroller every day can be more convincing than a big influencer who unboxed it once. A creator’s reach matters less than whether they actually use the product.
- Clearly label paid partnerships. In the IAB study, shoppers named credibility (46%) and independence from brands, including sponsorship disclosure (34%), among the top things they check before trusting a creator. A 2024 Federal Trade Commission rule also bans fake reviews and testimonials, including AI-generated ones that pretend to come from people who don’t exist or never used the product.
“AI will keep getting better at finding the right gift,” said Donatas Smailys, co-founder and CEO of creator ad platform Billo. “What convinces shoppers to buy will still be a real person who tried the product and liked it. Brands that keep those people in their holiday videos will be the ones shoppers buy from.”
