The other day, I was reading a New York Times magazine piece on the rise of these so-called “Superfake” bags that are currently being produced in China at a fraction of the cost of the original brands. The article suggested that even the brand retailers themselves couldn’t tell the difference between the fake bags and the real ones. I’m not sure what was more disconcerting: The fact that people will pay $10,000 for what then clearly amounts to an overpriced bag or the fact that there’s a huge market for such unoriginal copying – (indeed, the article suggested that superfakes were now hugely popular with the influencer set).
The fact of the matter is, it’s hard to tell what’s real or authentic anymore. And maybe in a world where AI takes over, it becomes less of an issue, as people get used to not being able to tell the real thing from the fake. But I have to believe that authenticity still has a value. It’s something I think we as humans are innately drawn to, as when you or your business is authentic, it’s one signal that other people can trust you because you’re not trying or pretending to be something else. You are who you are after all.
The whole thing got me thinking about marketing and why, despite the trends, it’s still so important to project this kind of quality. How do you do it? There are four key areas we think businesses should incorporate to start on the road to becoming more authentic:
- Your purpose
- Your culture/personal background
- Unique strengths
- Values and beliefs
Let’s dive into each one.
Your Purpose
Authentic marketing starts with a clear sense of purpose. Your purpose represents the underlying reason why your brand exists and the positive impact it aims to make in people’s lives. The tricky part here is, of course, aligning that purpose with who you are and who your customers are. But when you can do that, such a purpose-driven approach can foster authenticity by allowing you to connect with consumers on a deeper level, transcending mere transactions.
Once you’ve established it, our advice is to communicate your purpose consistently across all marketing channels and empower your customers to be part of the same mission.
Your Culture or Personal Background
Authenticity can also stem from your personal background which influences your marketing approach. For example, perhaps you were raised in a culture that believes in hard work or sacrifice and you adopt that the way you authentically approach your business. Perhaps you stem from a culture that appreciates good food or that certain “joie de vivre.” If so, it makes sense to weave those elements into your brand narrative along with any other imagery and visuals that represent you best. Another way to incorporate your culture or personal background into your marketing efforts involves weaving authentic stories into your brand narrative. Highlight the journey and experiences that have shaped you and or your journey. Share the stories of your team members that fit your culture or background to foster a sense of connection and relatability with your audience.
Your Unique Strengths
What are you good at? What makes you or your company stand out in terms of what you do well? Every brand possesses unique strengths that set them apart from others in the market. These strengths can become the foundation for building authenticity. Identify what makes your brand special, whether it’s your innovative technology, exceptional customer service, or a distinctive approach to problem-solving.
To showcase your unique strengths authentically, you can focus on highlighting real customer success testimonials. Perhaps you can tell stories about transformations, or go into detail about how you or your company solved a particular problem. Or, perhaps it’s simply communicating how you consistently deliver on your brand promises and demonstrate your expertise in a transparent and honest manner.
Your Values and Beliefs
Values and beliefs form the moral compass of your brand. Some of these values may indeed derive from your culture or history (above), but they also are separate (or opposite) from your culture or background in terms of what you’ve come to believe based on the experiences you’ve had. Here, it’s important to define the principles you stand for. For example, you could take a stance on relevant social or environmental issues that reflect your brand’s beliefs, and use that to engage in meaningful conversations with your audience. One of the keys is simply to be consistent: Authenticity comes from staying true to your values and consistently demonstrating them through your actions.
‘What If My Authenticity Doesn’t Resonate’?
Honestly, we hear this from many small companies. And I think it’s a natural inclination on the part of many human beings to doubt that who they are will really resonate with customers in particular. After all, isn’t the point of focusing on your audience – that it’s about them and not you? Why do you need to be authentic? Isn’t it better to pretend to be something else that you know customers want?
We’d say a few things about this:
- It’s never good to pretend to be anything, because it’s a hard thing to keep up over time. And the stress alone of trying to put on a particular face when it’s really not you will eventually wear you down.
- You won’t know if the “authentic you” resonates with customers unless you actually try. Many are surprised to find out there are a lot of like-minded people out there who come from the same cultural backgrounds, share the same beliefs, or identify with particular strengths in others.
- You may need to find a new audience for your products and services as it may not be where you’d traditionally expect. And it might be that the “authentic you” doesn’t fit with one audience but may fit greatly with another. Certainly, the latter can be the tricky part. But in truth, great marketing is really the marriage (or rather perhaps, the concentric circle) in which your authentic narrative meets where that customer is. For every company, it’s a unique point after all.
Conclusion
In a world filled with inauthenticity, maybe it’s time to get back to marketing the real you. Because that’s the one that’s most sustainable and one that’s likely going to stand the test of time. We think your customers will not only appreciate it, but they’ll also embrace it. And just as importantly, we think you’ll be able to better sustain your business over the long haul.
Need help with establishing a more authentic narrative or with other parts of marketing? Don’t hesitate to contact us for a free consultation.
