The Evolution of Content Creation through Digital & AI

Mabel LU
18 minutes ago
3 min read

Back in 2020, I was sitting in my office at Danone in Shanghai with the China marketing team. We were deep into consumer engagement models, planning our influencer marketing campaign for Aptamil. In this kind of work, you spend weeks negotiating with KOLs, briefing them on product messaging, reviewing content drafts, and crossing your fingers that the final video would feel authentic.

It was exciting work. But it was also exhausting.

We knew that consumers trusted real people more than polished ads. That insight was gold. But every campaign felt like we were starting from scratch – finding the right creators, managing contracts, approving content, and hoping the audience would connect.

We were buying influence. And it was expensive, slow, and hard to scale.

2020–2022: The KOL/KOC Era

In those years, external creators were the engine of digital marketing. KOLs gave us reach. KOCs gave us relatability. We paid for their creativity, their audiences, and their credibility.

But there was a catch.

Good KOLs cost a fortune.
KOCs had limited reach.
Production cycles dragged on for weeks.
Authenticity was hit‑or‑miss – it depended entirely on the creator.

What we learned, though, was invaluable: consumers trust real people more than polished ads. We just couldn't figure out how to scale that truth.

2023–2024: Partnerships & UGC

The industry evolved. Brands moved from one‑off campaigns to longer‑term collaborations. We invested in ambassador programs, product gifting, and seeding at scale. The hope was that if we built genuine relationships with creators, the authenticity would follow.

And sometimes it did. But it was still resource‑intensive. We were still reliant on external voices. We earned authenticity – we just couldn't manufacture it at scale.

2026+: AI‑Powered Enablement

Then came a moment that stopped me in my tracks.

Two weeks ago, I came across a story about A.O. Smith. A frontline salesperson had filmed a casual product demo on his phone – no script, no fancy lighting, just him talking about a product he knew inside out. He shared it in his WeChat groups and Moments. His existing customers responded with more engagement than any polished ad ever got.

That one salesperson's instinct – to be real, to be himself – sparked something much bigger.

A.O. Smith built an AI tool called "One‑Click to Video" by partnering with Alibaba. Now, any salesperson can upload a single photo. The AI generates a 2–3 minute product video with their own face and voice – seamlessly integrated into a professional, brand‑compliant template.

Cost per video? Less than 5% of traditional production.
Scale? Thousands of salespeople are now content creators.
Distribution? Videos shared in personal WeChat groups and Moments – authentic, trusted, and personal.

The insight from 2020 – consumers trust real people – hadn't changed. What changed was the technology that finally made it scalable.

What This Means for Marketing Leaders

This isn't just a story about technology. It's a story about people.

Your sales force is your most underutilized content network. They know your products and your customers better than any external creator ever could.
AI doesn't replace people; it amplifies them. It takes the instinct of that one salesperson and makes it available to thousands.
The shift is from "buying influence" to "unlocking authenticity" from within.
Brand consistency and local personalization can now coexist. Templates ensure the brand is protected, while each salesperson brings their own voice and face to the content.

The Question I Keep Asking

In 2020, we were excited to find a handful of good KOLs and KOCs. Today, I'm asking a different question: what if every employee could be a trusted content creator?

And more importantly: what if we could make it easy, fast, and brand‑safe?

This is the question I'm exploring right now with a few forward‑thinking brands. It's not about replacing the KOLs we worked so hard to partner with. It's about recognising that the most authentic voices might already be inside our own organisations.

We just needed the right tool to unlock them.

This article reflects my personal perspective as an independent consulting advisor working at the intersection of AI, marketing, and sales transformation.

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