What’s next for the influencer?Polished people, perfect lives, vast follower counts. We used to know what the influencer looked like – and how they could sell products. But in a world where distrust is universal and taste is the new reach, that image is cracking. So how do audiences connect with this new wave of creators? And how should brands choose who to align with?Thursday 30 Jul 2026
Summary

Audiences no longer connect with the polished aspiration of the first wave of influencers. Instead, connection is more intentional and immediate, with relationships more direct and anchored in shared interests. People are able to signal more precisely to curated communities or on interest-led platforms. There are even influencers on Strava.

This shift isn’t limited to emerging or alternative platforms such as Substack, LinkedIn, Letterboxd and Fanfix. Even on established networks such as TikTok, Instagram and Facebook, influencer culture is becoming more contextual and community-driven, with local influencers at the heart of that shift. Creators including Vansa from Indonesia share the same neighbourhoods and languages as their audience. Burberry-endorsed Briton Bus Auntie might even take the same commute, demonstrating that influencer culture is increasingly defined by proximity, relatability and trust.

In 2026, the business model continues to evolve. Influencers are making big money moves, such as Brooke DeVard becoming COO for Refinery29, or US podcaster Chris Black launching his own clothing company Hanover USA. Sunnies, a Filipino brand that has emerged as one of the most popular from Southeast Asia, was founded by some of the country’s pioneering creators. Streamers such as iShowSpeed are redefining the model entirely, turning livestreams into cultural events and online audiences into real-time participatory communities.

In this Deep Dive, Canvas8 senior commissioning editor Leah Sinclair and Leila McGlew, co-founder of alternative influence agency Figures, explore what comes next for influencers, where influence is already shifting today and how brands can identify the taste-makers shaping this new landscape.

Why now?
Anonymity is aspirationalVisibility is no longer the cultural default it once was. Strategic anonymity is on the rise, with faceless accounts and identity-light creators gaining traction, while even celebrities are fragmenting their presence across multiple channels, personas and niche pages. At the same time, only 9% of Gen Z say they actively aspire to fame, signalling a broader move away from influence as personal visibility. Instead of a single, unified personal brand, audiences are engaging with multiple, partial identities, suggesting that influence is becoming less about being seen and more about being relevant in specific, contextual moments.
There is distrust in technologyDistrust in tech is increasingly reshaping influencer marketing amid a broader collapse in trust in both influencers and the platforms that amplify them. Around 80% of people in the US say influencers are not genuine, honest or transparent, while 71% believe they promote unrealistic lifestyles and body image ideals. Trust in social media as an information source is also weakening, with only 22% of people globally trusting it for news. As users become more aware of how visibility is shaped by algorithms and commercial incentives, credibility is shifting away from platform-amplified ‘big influencers’ towards more distributed and community-validated forms of influence.
Participation is now expectedAs influence fragments, brands are operating within a wider ecosystem of micro-creators, communities and review-led discovery. The role of ser-generated content is shifting as it becomes more embedded within brand strategy and shaped by platform dynamics and niche communities. Rather than isolated expressions, it is increasingly part of a broader, more structured environment of participation and cultural feedback loops. This creates a new opportunity for brands to design for participation at scale, embedding themselves within fragmented spaces such as Google Local Guides and Reddit, alongside review ecosystems, creator communities and messaging-based groups.

Featured Speakers

Leah Sinclair is a senior commissioning editor at Canvas8 and a freelance journalist whose bylines include Stylist Magazine, The Guardian, Grazia, Evening Standard and more. Her work explores culture, lifestyle and consumer trends, and she has previously worked as a senior digital writer and news reporter across UK media. At Canvas8, she focuses on how cultural shifts, from entertainment and fashion to sport and fandom, are reshaping the way audiences engage with brands and experiences. Her work examines fandom through case studies she has commissioned on brands such as Fanatics UK and Swifftogedden, as well as reports exploring how tracking culture has become key to fan experiences and why they’re also gathering offline to seek connection


Leila McGlew, co-founder of figures, is a brand and cultural strategy leader with more than fifteen years of experience working across agencies, media and independent consultancy. Previously at DAZED and Selfridges, Leila most recently headed the agency team at Protein, leading partnerships for clients including Nike, Converse, Apple and Sonos. Her work includes strategic collaborations with organisations including D&AD, The Lovies, Soho House and Somerset House.

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