the synergy between human trust and artificial intelligence in marketing scaled

Every new technology brings a wave of distraction. We become obsessed with the tool and forget the timeless principles of the craft. At YEWS, our guiding principle has always been to “be like water” – a philosophy that has allowed us to thrive for 19 years, adapting through countless industry shifts as we approach our 20th anniversary.

In a recent, widely-shared talk, Gary Vaynerchuk issued a stark warning about the marketing industry’s obsession with outdated models. His message confirms what two decades in this business teaches you: the future of marketing is not a technical race to master AI. It is a return to the most powerful, fundamental force in business: human trust. This article is the blueprint for how we, as an adaptive agency, are building systems to prove and amplify our clients’ trustworthiness at scale.

The Great Reversal: From Chasing Clicks to Earning Trust

For years, the digital marketing world has been focused on proxies for success: rankings, impressions, and clicks. But these are not the goal; they are merely indicators. The true goal has always been to earn a customer’s trust.

GaryVee’s core argument is not that organic social media is a new trick. It’s that in today’s world, organic engagement is the purest, most scalable proxy for genuine human trust. When a person chooses to watch, share, or comment on a piece of content without being paid to do so, they are casting a vote of confidence. They are saying, “This is relevant. This is valuable. This is trustworthy.”

This is the profound data that the new AI engines, like ChatGPT and Gemini, are learning from.

the intersection of human trust and artificial intelligence in marketing
building and scaling trust within a network with a central AI recognising and amplifying those connections

AEO & GEO: Teaching the AI Who to Trust

The goal of Answer Engine Optimisation (AEO) and Generative Engine Optimisation (GEO) is not to “trick” an algorithm. It is to make your business’s inherent trustworthiness so clear, consistent, and abundant that the AI has no choice but to learn that you are the definitive source.

The AI is like a student learning about your industry by reading everything on the internet. Our job is to be such an excellent and prolific teacher that the student concludes you are the master of the subject. This brings us full circle. To become the trusted recommendation of an AI, you must first be the trusted recommendation of humans.

Our Blueprint: A System for Building Trust at Scale

Our “be like water” philosophy means we adapt our methods while holding true to our principles. Our process is evolving to systematically codify, broadcast, and measure our clients’ trustworthiness.

be like water philosophy illustrating fluidity and adaptation in a business
  1. The Strategic Partnership (Codifying Trust)
    This is the human-to-human heart of our process. It’s a deep, collaborative dive with our clients to define why they are trustworthy—their deep niche expertise, their USPs, and their core messaging (our ACUA principle). This becomes their “Source of Truth.”
  2. AI as an Amplifier of Trust Signals
    We use AI not to create trust, but to amplify the signals of it. The “Source of Truth” is fed into an AI-assisted workflow to translate our client’s trustworthiness into a high volume of authentic content assets. Our human experts provide the strategy and the “craftsman’s edge”; the AI provides the scale.
  3. The Feedback Loop (Measuring Trust)
    We test these assets organically. The data on what resonates with the market (organic views, engagement) is the feedback loop. It tells us which aspects of our client’s trustworthiness the market values most. This isn’t a vanity metric; it’s the leading indicator of what will ultimately drive sales.
  4. Investing in Trust (Paid Ads)
    The data from the feedback loop provides the proven creative brief for our paid campaigns. We are no longer just buying ads; we are investing in amplifying the messages that have already earned the trust of the market.

Conclusion: The Enduring Power of Being Trustworthy

The agencies that thrive in this new era will not be the ones who are best at using AI. They will be the ones who are best at partnering with their clients to prove and amplify their trustworthiness.

This is the ultimate expression of our “be like water” philosophy. The tools and platforms will always change, but the fundamental human need for trust is a constant. Our job is to be fluid in our methods but rigid in our principles. The final outcome is not just a better marketing result; it’s a more resilient and respected business for our clients, built on the enduring power of being the one people – and now, the AI that learns from them – can trust.

Prefer to listen or watch? I’ve recorded an audio version of this article and created a video overview.

Perfect for your commute or a visual briefing.