Video platform Animoto has released its 2026 State of Video report, revealing that both consumers and marketers are navigating the evolving relationship between authentic storytelling and the rapid acceleration of AI, and getting it wrong can have lasting consequences.
Animoto surveyed more than 450 participants, including U.S. consumers and marketers at companies who have created at least one video in the past three months. Follow-up qualitative insights were collected from over 150 Animoto users.
“Video is at the heart of modern marketing, helping people learn, shop and connect with brands,” said Beth Forrester, CEO of Animoto. “While the rise of AI has enabled marketers to greatly enhance the way they create and enhance videos, it also risks undermining the credibility that builds trust.”
Marketing Technology News: MarTech Interview with Michael McNeal, VP of Products at SALESmanago
consumer think They can find AI (and trust is fragile)
Overall, nearly 83% of consumers say they have watched a video they suspect was generated by AI, with robotic gestures (67%), unnatural voices (55%), and lack of emotional tone (51%) cited as the biggest contributing factors. But people aren’t rejecting AI completely. More than a third trust AI-generated content as much as human-generated videos. But brands should tread carefully, as 36% of consumers say AI-generated videos reduce their perception of the brand.
Why this matters: Video drives purchasing decisions
An overwhelming majority of consumers (82%) say video is the most memorable form of content, and 86% say they prefer to learn about brands through video. But even more important is the impact videos have on purchase intent, with 83% of consumers purchasing something after watching a brand video.
When it comes to what people actually look for in brand videos, feeling personal and authentic is the most important quality (43%). Helping support this desire for authenticity is featuring real people in your videos, mentioned by nearly 68% of consumers. Video length also matters, with more than half (61%) preferring videos under 1 minute, and only 5% wanting videos longer than 2 minutes.
AI Niche: Increase creativity and increase productivity
AI cannot replace human creativity, but it can remove many of the obstacles that slow content creation. Marketers say their biggest challenge when creating a video is simply coming up with an idea, and AI is proving particularly valuable in this area (63%). It also helps you save editing time (55%), find relevant content (54%), overcome creative blocks (53.8%), and even write scripts (55.2%).
Marketers agree: AI should help, humans should make decisions
Despite its widespread adoption, marketers overwhelmingly agree on one thing. That is, AI should support human creativity, not replace it. 84% of marketers are already using AI in their video creation process, and over 75% use AI frequently, but sparingly and strategically.
Almost everyone emphasizes the importance of maintaining creative control and brand integrity. 90% say it’s essential to be able to edit AI-generated content, 95% say it should reflect their branding, and an astonishing 99% think their brand personality should shine through.
What this means for brands in 2026
A report from Animoto found that nearly all marketers (97%) say video is important to their overall strategy, and 90% plan to create more videos by 2026. The growing importance of video has led 75% of marketers to hire or build a team of dedicated in-house video creators, and more than half (60%) report that in-house video is superior to agency-produced content, while just 6% say the opposite.
Taken together, these findings provide a clear roadmap for brands into 2026. It’s about putting employees in the boardroom while investing in video and embracing AI.
