Why audiences trust peers more than brands — and how to show that visually

We’ve all felt it.

You open a social app to catch up with friends, see what people are up to, or kill a few minutes—and you’re immediately surrounded by marketing. Social platforms didn’t start as advertising channels; they started as places for human connection. Over time, brands followed attention into these spaces, not because audiences asked for more ads, but because people were already there. That shift matters. When marketing shows up in an environment designed for social interaction, the content that earns trust isn’t the loudest or most polished—it’s the content that feels human.

For most brands and organizations, video isn’t the problem.

The problem is what happens after the video is made.

Great videos are launched with energy, shared a few times, and then quietly disappear — without clear data, without measurable impact, and without contributing meaningfully to long-term goals. This is where AI can change the equation, not by replacing creative work, but by turning video into a system.

After months of planning and preparation, we’re thrilled to share that Sticks & Holler — our Appalachian dark comedy TV pilot written and directed by Willie Simmons and co-produced by Stoop Kids and Benco Productions — has officially wrapped principal photography!