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Sep 30, 2026 33 min

Manufacturing Credibility | Brett Cohen, Forbes

from Paying Attention Hosted by Choy Travers

Brett Cohen is Group Vice President of ForbesLive, running the live events behind franchises like the Forbes Under 30 Summit. In 2012, he walked through Times Square pretending to be a celebrity, and the video that followed reached millions. In this episode of Paying Attention, we talk about why that experiment worked, why it matters even more in the age of AI, and why getting attention is one thing, but earning credibility is another. We get into: the Times Square stunt, and the TMZ insight behind it why credibility is getting easier to fake as AI floods every feed why in-person events are growing as the world goes more digital why a media publisher is really a legacy creator what brands are getting right on social A conversation about attention, credibility, and what it takes to earn both. Chapters 00:00 Intro 01:03 The Times Square experiment 04:53 Why it worked: the TMZ formula 09:04 Manufactured credibility in 2026 12:18 The thin line between attention and credibility 13:50 AI, fakes and who to trust 16:20 Attention is up for grabs, and IRL is rising 20:36 Designing for unexpected moments at Forbes Under 30 22:47 Why events matter more as traffic falls 25:17 Publishers as legacy creators, and Forbes' bets 30:13 What brands are getting right on social 32:27 Final advice: listen to your audience 33:22 Where to find Brett Paying Attention is hosted by Choy Travers and explores how media, advertising, technology and commerce are being reshaped by AI.

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Manufacturing Credibility | Brett Cohen, Forbes

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How long is this episode of Paying Attention?

This episode is 33 minutes long.

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This episode was published on September 30, 2026.

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