From Algorithms to Authenticity: Genuin’s Bid to Reclaim Digital Community
Matt Wurst outlines how Genuin is building video-powered, AI-supported infrastructure that put ownership, trust and relevance back in the hands of brands and audiences.
At a time when algorithmic dominance defines much of social media, Genuin offers a different proposition: a video-led, community-based platform that puts curation and trust above virality. In a wide-ranging discussion with The Media Stack, Matt Wurst, Chief Marketing Officer of Genuin outlined the company’s ambition to rewire how brands connect with audiences in a digital ecosystem increasingly saturated by noise, speed and automation.
A Platform for Communities, Not Content Farms
Genuin is a white-labelled video-powered infrastructure that brands can embed directly within their own digital ecosystems. Unlike mainstream social networks that prioritise reach and engagement metrics shaped by opaque algorithms, Genuin centres on curated communities built around relevance, consent and connection.
“It’s social media without the pressure.” “No public likes, no follower counts, no algorithm gaming just vertical video in trusted, brand-owned environments.”
Matt Wurst, Chief Marketing Officer, Genuin
This approach offers brands a new layer of autonomy: ownership over content, community moderation, and direct access to what Wurst calls “zero-party data” user-declared preferences, rather than inferred behaviours. For consumers, the experience is deliberately stripped of the performative veneer common to platforms like TikTok and Instagram. For brands, it promises deeper engagement, longer dwell times, and a more brand-safe environment for monetisation.
The TED Case Study: AI-Powered Curation at Scale
A case in point is TED, the global ideas platform, which uses Genuin to curate, categorise, and distribute short-form video clips from its vast back catalogue. Advanced AI tools embedded in Genuin automatically identify relevant 30-second segments, tag them according to contextual themes (e.g. science, health, AI), and deliver them within a category-specific feed.
For TED, the benefit is twofold: a better user experience and a new opportunity for monetisation. Sponsors can attach their brand to relevant content streams while avoiding the reputational risk associated with unmoderated user-generated content. Crucially, this is delivered without requiring TED to build and maintain the infrastructure themselves: Genuin handles the technology while TED retains strategic and creative control.
Monetisation Models: Revenue Share, Sponsorships and Subscriptions
Genuin’s business model is built around flexibility. The platform supports three primary revenue channels:
Sponsorships: Brands can underwrite specific community categories, with exclusivity options available to block competitors.
Subscriptions: Retailers, publishers or local merchants pay monthly fees to access niche content verticals.
Programmatic Advertising: Genuin also integrates with exchanges like Index and Magnite to deliver ad placements within video streams.
This multi-pronged approach is designed to appeal to a wide range of sectors from retail and ecommerce to healthcare and publishing each of which can adapt the model to suit their audience and commercial priorities.
Beyond the Influencer Economy: The Rise of the Curator
Wurst is quick to distance Genuin from the mainstream influencer economy, which he views as increasingly transactional and shallow. Instead, he proposes what he terms the “curator economy” a decentralised model where trust and taste drive engagement more than celebrity or popularity.
“In the past, validation was the currency: likes, shares, follower counts,” he said. “Now, the value lies in meaningful resonance. People respond to content shared with purpose, not just for performance.”
This shift is especially relevant for media companies looking to engage younger audiences. Publishers like Condé Nast are already experimenting with video-first strategies to bring down the average age of their audiences. For Genuin, the visual and interactive format is well suited to Gen Z and Gen Alpha users who consume media less linearly and more intuitively.
Matt Wurst, Chief Marketing Officer, Genuin
AI as Co-Pilot, Not Replacement
Artificial intelligence is central to Genuin’s infrastructure but framed as an enabler rather than a disruptor. Wurst likens AI to a “co-pilot” a set of embedded tools that support everything from content curation and moderation to strategic planning. The platform’s proprietary Gen AI assistant can generate content plans, suggest KPIs, and even offer role-based recommendations for internal teams.
“We don’t believe in AI for AI’s sake,” Wurst said. “It’s about making workflows more efficient and more human not replacing creative input, but enhancing it.”
Still, he acknowledges the risks. From fabricated content to missed nuance in event reporting, poorly supervised AI poses challenges across industries. “We’re already seeing examples of AI-generated sports coverage missing major incidents during games. That’s why editorial oversight still matters,” he added.
Building for Durability, Not Hype
Looking ahead, Wurst emphasises the importance of building a durable business model grounded in trust, relevance and utility. “We don’t want to chase audiences. We want to earn their attention,” he said. “The best marketing isn’t what you say it’s what your community says about you when you’re not in the room.”
In a digital environment often ruled by scale and speed, Genuin’s long-term bet is that authenticity, community and control will prove more valuable than reach alone.
