How regulated brands are winning trust on social media — without risking compliance

As consumers grow more sceptical in a flood of AI-generated content on social media and regulatory scrutiny intensifies, marketing leaders across healthcare, finance, legal and insurance say earning, and protecting, trust has never been more critical.

And at a time when social media rewards speed, personality and jumping on the latest trend, compliance requirements can feel like the handbrake is firmly on. For regulated brands, that means rethinking how they build credibility, manage risk and stay transparent, all without losing their voice in an increasingly noisy digital world.

READ MORE: Creativity under compliance: the new reality of marketing in regulated industries

Those challenges and opportunities were front and centre of the discussion at a recent roundtable hosted by Prolific North in partnership with integrated marketing and communications agency, BIG Partnership, held at PwC’s Manchester offices on 4 February.

Senior marketing leaders from across healthcare, finance, legal, professional services and insurance came together to share how their brands are maintaining that credibility, navigating social media, and leveraging influencers — all while operating in tightly regulated environments.

The discussion forms the centre of our week-long focus series on marketing in regulated industries. Over the coming days, we’ll also examine AI adoption in regulated sectors and how leaders are balancing creativity with compliance.

Attendees

• David Prior, Partnerships Editor, Prolific North 
• Allan Barr, CEO, BIG Partnership
• Joel Bransfield, Commercial Operations Director, BIG Partnership
• Becky Moore, Partner – Digital, Commerce and Creative, Lewis Silkin
• Bethany Lunt, Marketing Manager, Northern Accountants
• Christine Morgan, Head of Comms, Together Money
• Eloise Lonsdale, Content & Copywriting Specialist, Glaisyers Solicitors
• Gillian McCammon, Head of Marketing, Vista Insurance
• Kellie Butterworth, Ortho Marketing Manager, Mydentist
• Paris Mannion, Brand Manager, Maxwellia
• Will Jones, Director – Marketing & Customer Experience, DF Capital
• Vicky Baker, Regional Growth Manager, PwC

Trust and transparency

David Prior (Prolific North), kicked off the discussion asking about trust, transparency and how regulated organisations are able to maintain trust in what he described as a complex digital marketing landscape. 

Reflecting on wider industry shifts, Christine Morgan (Together Money) said the evolution of communication channels have reshaped audience expectations and transformed where, and how, brands now connect with consumers.

“There are more ways for you to contact your consumer now,” she explained. “Marketers like us have to broaden our thinking in terms of how we’re going to reach them, and we have to spread out focus and attention wider, but within that, you’ve got to maintain trust.”

READ MORE: Building BIG in the North: How Allan Barr is leading one of the UK’s largest independents into its next chapter

Kellie Butterworth (Mydentist) added that consumers are “savvier than ever” and can “spot inauthenticity a mile off,” making transparency and trust even more essential in an age of information overload. Verified reviews also play a vital role in maintaining consumer trust and confidence.

The shift from traditional advertising and word-of-mouth to social media and online reviews has created new challenges for regulated brands, said Allan Barr (BIG Partnership). Social media feeds are now “increasingly filled” with AI-generated content, making it harder than ever for consumers to know what to trust.

This means it is “even more important” for marketers to engage not only with their internal teams but also with the influencers they collaborate with. 

Becky Moore (Lewis Silkin) described how it has become “harder” for reputable advertisers to be reactive and do the things they want to do really quickly thanks to compliance rules often slowing down marketing teams.  

“The unscrupulous don’t care about that,” she said. “It’s not that it’s harder to gain trust, it’s harder to get that message out there in a compliant way, quickly.”

Other leaders compared the hurdles their brands face in comparison with retail chains like Aldi, which can react quickly without the same regulatory “red tape”. But even the brands that might seem “quick” and reactive online have long navigated multiple layers of compliance before being able to hop on those major “cultural moments” or viral trends.

They agreed on the need for a ‘joined-up approach’ across internal teams, backed by c-suite buy-in to trust marketing leaders enough to be ‘brave’.

Will Jones (DF Capital) stressed that marketers need close collaboration with compliance teams, turning campaign approvals into a “much more collaborative” process rather than a bottleneck. 

On trust and transparency in regulated markets, Joel Bransfield (BIG Partnership) added that success should be viewed as a long-term strategy, positioning brands as thought leaders in their space rather than chasing “quick wins”.

For Butterworth (Mydentist), in healthcare there is a balance between short-term activation versus long-term sales growth and it is crucial for brands to “hold their nerve” and focus on building that confidence and brand trust with consumers.

Many businesses are finding success by turning earned media into a wider campaign strategy, securing credible press coverage and amplifying it across digital channels, email, and social media to reinforce trust, said Barr (BIG Partnership). Getting featured in those credible publications adds a layer of journalistic scrutiny that reassures consumers, but to truly maximise impact, he said, it calls for a ‘joined-up’ approach.

“Marketing can’t operate in isolation from compliance and legal anymore; it has to take senior stakeholders in the business on that journey. It’s an education piece, but you also have to leverage all of those tools to build credibility.”

It was widely acknowledged that memorable earned media campaigns are also an effective way to make budgets “work smarter,” ensuring content reaches the right audience while reinforcing trust.

Social media, influencers and authenticity

The discussion then shifted to social media and influencer marketing, with Prior (Prolific North) asking how leaders are managing risk in a space where speed and personality bring both opportunities and challenges.

Reflecting on the role of influencers, Morgan (Together Money) stressed the need for them to have a “credible voice” and ensure everything they share is “factually correct”, while warning of the dangers of “non-experts” presenting themselves as experts. 

Gillian McCammon (Vista Insurance), championed using internal experts as influencers to communicate brand messaging authentically, while Eloise Lonsdale (Glaisyers Solicitors) warned that consumers can “sniff out inauthenticity from the get-go” meaning brands must prioritise choosing the right tone of voice and the right influencers.

The influencer landscape has changed dramatically over the past few years, argued Bethany Lunt (Northern Accountants). It’s no longer enough for brands to rely on big-name stars or influencers to promote a brand, as consumers increasingly crave “real people with real life experiences and stories”. 

As a result, user-generated content (UGC) has surged in popularity, often resonating more strongly than traditional paid influencer partnerships.

Butterworth (Mydentist) added that user-generated content is proving particularly powerful, with relevant micro-influencers often delivering “much more impact” thanks to their authenticity and close connection to niche audiences.

“People want to see behind the scenes and people value authenticity over anything,” agreed Lonsdale (Glaisyers Solicitors).

Part of the reason micro-influencers are on the rise is absolutely down to cost, as many medium and even large brands aren’t willing to pay the increasingly exorbitant fees, said Barr (BIG Partnership). While that opens doors for brands of all sizes, he referenced the importance of maintaining relevance and authenticity while still retaining some degree of control.

Morgan (Together Money) said brands shouldn’t “underestimate” the talent and reach of in-house experts and highlighted the importance of targeting content carefully, especially for brands that work with external content creators. 

She explained that success starts with being clear from the outset about your objectives, from identifying the audience you want to reach, carrying out thorough due diligence, and selecting content creators whose values and reach align with brand goals.

Micro-influencer relationships are becoming more collaborative, with brands and creators working as partners rather than relying on one-off transactional posts. And influencers are “keen to learn” what moves the needle for brands, agreed Barr (BIG Partnership).

And that theme of partnerships extends to the way brands may bring in a group of influencers to support a product launch, as building long-term credibility requires a consistent face and message rather than constantly switching them out every few weeks, argued Bransfield (BIG Partnership). Repurposing existing blog content or thought leadership pieces can be used to maximise budgets to make sure content works harder for longer across multiple channels too. 

For Barr (Big Partnership), it’s now less about just pumping content out in the hope people will see it, brands are now developing their own content, owning it on their platforms and then driving engagement through paid activity back onto that platform. 

One thing that was clear from the discussion is that in sectors where trust, transparency, and accuracy are paramount, marketing is as much about safeguarding reputation as it is about driving growth.

And for regulated brands, creativity thrives when combined with compliance, long-term planning, and authentic engagement to produce campaigns that resonate, educate, and build lasting credibility.

The focus week continues tomorrow with a deep dive into how marketers in regulated industries are using AI – and still keeping creativity alive.