In a world where AI can generate emails, schedule your diary and even write a passable indie-rock album review, trust has become a business’s most valuable currency. For North East companies — from Newcastle’s creative agencies to Sunderland’s engineering firms — brand trust isn’t just a nice-to-have. It’s the thing that separates the businesses people depend on from the ones people scroll past.
And in an age of automation, that trust is harder to build and easier to lose.
AI Is Speeding Everything Up — Including Skepticism
The North East business scene is no stranger to technological change. We’re a region built on shipyards, steelworks and innovation — but this latest wave of AI tools, automation and generative content has done something very unusual.
It has made people more suspicious, not more impressed.
A 2024 PwC study found that 72% of UK consumers are “concerned about whether online content is real or AI-generated.” Another Deloitte report showed that trust in digital content has fallen year-on-year since 2020.
As someone who works in branding and digital strategy — and as someone who spends an unreasonable amount of time curating Spotify funk playlists — I can confidently say this:
People can smell generic content a mile off.
In the North East especially, people value authenticity. You can’t pull the wool over a Geordie’s eyes. Try to pass off machine-generated nonsense as “expert advice” and you’ll get the digital equivalent of being told to “do one”.
The Human-Creative Advantage
Here’s the good news: if you’re a North East business that values personality, conversation and good old-fashioned honesty, you already have the edge.
AI can produce content, but it can’t replicate:
Geordie humour regional pride the storytelling that comes from lived experience the nuance of working with local customers the feeling of supporting an independent business
Brand trust comes from people understanding your values, not your output.
In branding terms, this is what we call relational equity — the long-term loyalty you build by being consistent, memorable and human. Think about your favourite indie coffee shop in Jesmond or Ouseburn. You don’t go because of the algorithm. You go because of how it feels.
Consistency Builds Trust — And AI Is Not Consistent
One of the most overlooked parts of brand trust is consistency. Academic studies going back to the 1990s (Aaker, Keller etc.) show that consistent brand behaviours increase perceived quality, loyalty and willingness to recommend.
AI, however, is a little like a streaky striker — one week scoring a hat trick, the next week missing an open net. You never quite know what you’ll get.
That’s why the most successful North East businesses aren’t the ones who automated everything.
They’re the ones who automated the right things — admin, scheduling, form submissions — while keeping communication, storytelling and brand tone firmly human.
Transparency Is Now a Brand Strategy
The companies that are winning include transparency as part of their identity.
For example:
clearly explaining how AI is used (and not used) being open about processes telling customers about your people and your story showing behind-the-scenes content showcasing real local clients and real local results
Trust isn’t built through “we’re the best!” messaging — it’s built through evidence, honesty and helpfulness.
North East Culture = Trust Culture
The North East is built on straight-talking relationships. We’re community-led. We look out for each other. And in business terms, that’s powerful.
It means you can build trust faster here than almost anywhere else — if you show customers who you are.
So embrace your local edge. Be memorable. Sound like a real human. Let your personality come through.
In an age of AI-generated everything, authenticity becomes not just good branding — but a competitive advantage.
About Drew Hollinshead
As Co-Founder, Drew drives the creative vision. With over a decade leading high-growth teams, he translates complex business goals into impactful creative strategies.