Digital Authenticity under Generative AI: Mechanisms of Synthetic Signal Construction and Strategic Legitimacy in Branding
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.66203/manexia.01205Keywords:
digital authenticity, dynamic capabilities, generative artificial intelligence, signaling theory, synthetic signal orchestration, strategic legitimacyAbstract
The diffusion of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) in branding practices challenges a central assumption in authenticity research: that legitimacy derives primarily from indexical continuity between expressive artifacts and experiential origin. As firms increasingly rely on synthetic systems to produce scalable, adaptive, and stylistically coherent brand communications, the structural linkage between expression and embodied authorship becomes attenuated. This article develops a mechanism-based framework to explain how authenticity and strategic legitimacy are reconstructed under conditions of generative intensification. Integrating signaling theory, legitimacy theory, and dynamic capabilities, the analysis conceptualizes authenticity as an emergent property of orchestrated synthetic signal regimes rather than as an intrinsic attribute of origin. The framework specifies a curvilinear relationship between generative AI intensity and perceived authenticity: moderate integration enhances coherence and responsiveness, while uncalibrated intensification risks signal dilution and perceived artificiality. Perceived authenticity mediates the effect of generative intensity on strategic legitimacy, and synthetic signal orchestration capability conditions the threshold at which legitimacy erosion occurs. Contextual salience, including heritage intensity and customer epistemic sensitivity, further shapes these dynamics. By reframing authenticity as governance-dependent under digital abundance, the article extends branding theory and dynamic capabilities scholarship while providing a structured agenda for empirical examination of AI-enabled marketing transformation.
References
Acquisti, A., Brandimarte, L., & Loewenstein, G. (2015). Privacy and human behavior in the age of information. Science, 347(6221), 509–514. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.aaa1465
Anand, A., Singh, S. K., Bowen, M., & Rangarajan, D. (2024). Strategic renewal during crises. Journal of International Management, 30(3), 101134. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.intman.2024.101134
Beverland, M. B. (2005). Crafting brand authenticity: The case of luxury wines. Journal of Management Studies, 42(5), 1003–1029. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-6486.2005.00530.x
Beverland, M. B., & Farrelly, F. J. (2010). The quest for authenticity. Journal of Consumer Research, 36(5), 838–856. https://doi.org/10.1086/615047
Chaudhuri, R., et al. (2024). Emerging technologies and data-driven culture. Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 200, 123165. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.techfore.2023.123165
Connelly, B. L., Certo, S. T., Ireland, R. D., & Reutzel, C. R. (2011). Signaling theory: A review and assessment. Journal of Management, 37(1), 39–67. https://doi.org/10.1177/0149206310388419
Deephouse, D. L., & Carter, S. M. (2005). An examination of differences between legitimacy and reputation. Journal of Management Studies, 42(2), 329–360. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-6486.2005.00499.x
de Haan, E., Padigar, M., El Kihal, S., Kübler, R., & Wieringa, J. E. (2024). Unstructured data research in business. Journal of Business Research, 177, 114655. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2024.114655
Eisenhardt, K. M., & Martin, J. A. (2000). Dynamic capabilities: What are they? Strategic Management Journal, 21(10–11), 1105–1121. https://doi.org/10.1002/1097-0266(200010/11)21:10/11<1105::AID-SMJ133>3.0.CO;2-E
Grayson, K., & Martinec, R. (2004). Consumer perceptions of iconicity and indexicality. Journal of Consumer Research, 31(2), 296–312. https://doi.org/10.1086/422109
Hartley, N., Kunz, W., & Tarbit, J. (2024). Corporate digital responsibility calculus. Organizational Dynamics, 53(2), 101056. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.orgdyn.2024.101056
Helfat, C. E., & Peteraf, M. A. (2003). The dynamic resource-based view. Strategic Management Journal, 24(10), 997–1010. https://doi.org/10.1002/smj.332
Holt, D. B. (2002). Why do brands cause trouble? Journal of Consumer Research, 29(1), 70–90. https://doi.org/10.1086/339922
Kumar, V., Ashraf, A. R., & Nadeem, W. (2024). AI-powered marketing. International Journal of Information Management, 77, 102783. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijinfomgt.2024.102783
Levinthal, D. A. (1997). Adaptation on rugged landscapes. Management Science, 43(7), 934–950. https://doi.org/10.1287/mnsc.43.7.934
Levinthal, D. A., & March, J. G. (1993). The myopia of learning. Strategic Management Journal, 14(S2), 95–112. https://doi.org/10.1002/smj.4250141009
March, J. G. (1991). Exploration and exploitation in organizational learning. Organization Science, 2(1), 71–87. https://doi.org/10.1287/orsc.2.1.71
Mariani, M. M., & Dwivedi, Y. K. (2024). Generative AI in innovation management. Journal of Business Research, 175, 114542. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2024.114542
Martin, K. (2018). The penalty for privacy violations. Journal of Business Research, 82, 103–116. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2017.09.016
Morhart, F., Malär, L., Guèvremont, A., Girardin, F., & Grohmann, B. (2015). Brand authenticity. Journal of Consumer Psychology, 25(2), 200–218. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcps.2014.11.002
Napoli, J., Dickinson, S., Beverland, M., & Farrelly, F. (2014). Measuring consumer-based brand authenticity. Journal of Business Research, 67(6), 1090–1098. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2013.06.001
Pedersen, C. L., & Ritter, T. (2024). Digital authenticity. Industrial Marketing Management, 123, 162–172. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.indmarman.2024.10.005
Riemer, K., & Peter, S. (2024). Conceptualizing generative AI as style engines. International Journal of Information Management, 79, 102824. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijinfomgt.2024.102824
Ritala, P., Aaltonen, P., Ruokonen, M., & Nemeh, A. (2024). Developing industrial AI capabilities. Technovation, 138, 103120. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.technovation.2024.103120
Saura, J. R., Škare, V., & Ozretic Dosen, D. (2024). Is AI-based digital marketing ethical? Journal of Innovation & Knowledge, 9(4), 100597. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jik.2024.100597
Siggelkow, N., & Levinthal, D. A. (2003). Temporarily divide to conquer. Organization Science, 14(6), 650–669. https://doi.org/10.1287/orsc.14.6.650.24840
Spence, M. (1973). Job market signaling. Quarterly Journal of Economics, 87(3), 355–374. https://doi.org/10.2307/1882010
Suchman, M. C. (1995). Managing legitimacy. Academy of Management Review, 20(3), 571–610. https://doi.org/10.5465/amr.1995.9508080331
Teece, D. J. (2007). Explicating dynamic capabilities. Strategic Management Journal, 28(13), 1319–1350. https://doi.org/10.1002/smj.640
Teece, D. J., Pisano, G., & Shuen, A. (1997). Dynamic capabilities and strategic management. Strategic Management Journal, 18(7), 509–533.
Winter, S. G. (2003). Understanding dynamic capabilities. Strategic Management Journal, 24(10), 991–995. https://doi.org/10.1002/smj.318
Zollo, M., & Winter, S. G. (2002). Deliberate learning and dynamic capabilities. Organization Science, 13(3), 339–351. https://doi.org/10.1287/orsc.13.3.339.2780
