SINGAPORE, 7 Sep 2026 — Credibility is becoming more important than visibility as B2B brands attempt to reach younger decision-makers, according to LinkedIn-commissioned research reported by MARKETING-INTERACTIVE.
The research surveyed 500 B2B marketers in Singapore and found that 74.4% believed brand credibility was becoming more important than brand visibility.
Almost nine in 10 respondents also said their companies’ future growth depended on influencing younger B2B decision-makers, including Gen Z and Millennials.
The findings suggest that reaching these audiences may require more than advertising exposure, frequent social media posts or a large follower count.
Customer success stories and testimonials were identified by 45.8% of respondents as important credibility signals. Employee voices and subject-matter experts followed at 41.4%, while 38% selected executives sharing their expertise and perspectives.
In comparison, only 13.8% identified strong brand awareness and reach as effective ways to establish credibility with younger professional audiences. Having a large social media following was selected by just 4% of respondents.
Human expertise may also become more valuable as AI-generated content becomes increasingly common. More than seven in 10 respondents said buyers trusted human expertise more than content generated by artificial intelligence.
For SMEs, the findings point towards a more focused approach to content creation. Instead of competing through content volume, businesses can draw on the experience of founders, employees, technical specialists and customers to provide useful insights and credible proof.
Artificial intelligence can support this process by helping businesses organise interviews, prepare initial drafts and adapt material for different platforms. However, the original knowledge, experience and perspective must still come from people who understand the business and its customers.
Why Marketing Advisory Still Matters
Tin Communications believes this shift strengthens the role of strategic marketing advisory and Fractional CMO leadership within SMEs.
As platforms automate more decisions involving audiences, advertisements and content distribution, businesses still need experienced leadership to determine what the brand should stand for, which customer segments matter and what deserves to be communicated.
A Fractional CMO can also help businesses identify credible internal voices, shape their expertise into useful content and connect individual marketing activities to wider commercial priorities.
Without this direction, AI may help a company produce more content without necessarily strengthening its positioning, reputation or customer relationships.
Tin Communications’ advisory approach is built around three responsibilities: deciding the right marketing priorities, designing a coherent strategy and directing internal teams and external partners towards measurable outcomes.
The study reflects the opinions of B2B marketers rather than directly measured buyer behaviour. Nevertheless, it offers a useful indication of how marketing priorities are changing as businesses seek to earn the trust of a younger generation of professional buyers.
For SMEs, the message is increasingly clear: visibility may attract attention, but credibility gives customers a reason to listen, trust and act.
Source: “Want to win Gen Z? Get your experts talking”, published by MARKETING-INTERACTIVE on 2 September 2026.
Read the original report: https://www.marketing-interactive.com/want-to-win-gen-z-get-your-experts-talking
