The Deepfake Dilemma: Can Brands Stay Authentic in the Synthetic Media Age?

Abstract

Brands now operate in a context where deepfakes and other synthetic media make highly realistic fabrications easy to produce, raising new questions about whether authenticity can be sustained. As marketers experiment with deepfake campaigns, AI-generated content, and virtual influencers, they gain creative efficiency and personalization possibilities, but also face heightened risks to perceived sincerity, trust, and ethical acceptability. This article undertakes a systematic literature review of peer-reviewed studies published between 2019 and 2024 that examine deepfakes and synthetic brand communications. The included studies are coded by type of synthetic content, theoretical framing, methodological design, and brand- related outcomes, with a focus on authenticity, trust, and consumer response. The synthesis shows that synthetic media often acts as a double-edged stimulus: it can improve engagement and flexibility, yet frequently undermines authenticity and trust when disclosures are unclear or executions conflict with brand values. The article closes by proposing a research agenda centred on disclosure practices, governance mechanisms, and long-term brand equity in increasingly synthetic media environments.