INFLUENCER INTEGRITY: Pastrygate, AI Trust, Storytelling Strategy (Ep. 016)

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What happens when influencer entitlement meets AI perfection? From “Pastrygate” to the comeback of messy, human marketing—Joanna and Michelle unpack why imperfection, honesty, and story-driven content are winning online.

What You’ll Learn:

• How “Pastrygate” exposed the dark side of influencer culture—and what brands can learn from it
• Why AI-polished content kills trust and how to re-humanize your marketing
• The storytelling frameworks that convert curious scrollers into loyal buyers
  
  

Timestamps:

00:00 - Introduction
03:00 – The “Pastrygate” influencer meltdown explained
09:30 – When negativity becomes a brand strategy (and backfires)
16:00 – Why drama and gossip drive virality
25:00 – AI perfection vs. human imperfection: the new trust factor
38:00 – How to tell stories that sell (without sounding salesy)
46:00 – Document, don’t perform: making authenticity easy

References & Resources:

• Aurora “Glamor” (Influencer involved in Pastrygate)
• Masters of Marketing (HubSpot newsletter)
• AI actress “Tilly”
• Google “Parisian” Ad (YouTube)

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