Research Symposium
26th annual Undergraduate Research Symposium, April 1, 2026
Audrey Fleetwood Poster Session 2: 10:45 am - 11:45 am / Poster #296
BIO
Originally from St. Louis, Missouri, Audrey is a junior studying Media and Communications with a minor in International Affairs. She studied abroad her freshman year at FSU London and is involved in the FSU Honors Program. She is pursuing a career in corporate communications post graduation.
Innovative or Inauthentic?: AI’s Role in Global Brand Storytelling
Authors: Audrey Fleetwood, Stephen McDowellStudent Major: Media and Communications Studies
Mentor: Stephen McDowell
Mentor's Department: College of Communication and Information Mentor's College: College of Communication and Information Co-Presenters:
Abstract
As artificial intelligence (AI) reshapes global content creation, multinational brands face a tension between production efficiency and perceived authenticity. Using a comparative case study of Coca-Cola’s 2024 and 2025 holiday advertising campaigns, this research examines how global corporations can employ AI generated content without diminishing consumer trust and identifies the point at which AI shifts from being perceived as innovative to inauthentic.
Drawing on Source Credibility Theory, the study analyzes how the transition from human-led production to AI generated imagery influences perceived messenger reliability. Additionally, it integrates Hall’s High-Context and Low-Context Culture Theory with Robertson’s framework of glocalization to assess whether AI facilitates or constrains culturally specific brand messaging. This theoretical framework highlights the tension between AI’s global scalability and the demand for emotionally resonant, culturally relevant imagery.
Methodologically, the study employs a qualitative comparative case study approach, combining an academic literature review with digital sentiment analysis of audience responses on X (formerly Twitter) to Coca-Cola’s 2024 and 2025 campaigns. Comparative analysis indicates that critiques labeling the 2024 advertisement as “soulless” contrast sharply with more favorable responses to the 2025 campaign, which emphasizes audience diversity. The study argues that AI’s effectiveness in global marketing is contingent upon its integration into culturally specific, human-centered storytelling, positioning AI as a viable tool for brand glocalization only when it reinforces authentic brand identity.
Keywords: AI, Authenticity, Credibility