Council Post: Effort Signaling In An Age Of AI

A PR consultancy article by Lis Anderson discusses the rise of “effort-signaling” content, sparked by a TikTok breakdown from brand consultant Miranda Shanahan. The trend, according to the piece, involves brands and creators making maximalized, hands-on productions—often presented as anti-AI—such as Victoria’s Secret’s collaboration with a mini pasta clothing creator, Damson Madder’s stained-glass collection, and Chamberlain Coffee’s hand-crafted clay stop motion. The author frames this as a response to an “AI slop” era on platforms like LinkedIn, where some reports suggest up to 40% of content may be AI-created and where “looks like AI slop” buttons have been introduced. Anderson also argues that perceived quality isn’t just about speed or output, but about “input” and expertise.