Mar 1, 2023
Real is rare: let's reclaim authenticity
*Authenticity. It’s unfortunately become a bit of a buzzword in the branding world, and that is a pet peeve of mine!*
Because so many companies have been misusing authenticity as a marketing gimmick to appeal to people’s yearning for something genuine, trustworthy, sincere products and experiences, “authentic” no longer carries the same meaning as it used to.
So now, when a brand claims to be authentic, instead of leading to increased levels of trust — it often leads to scepticism and cynicism. That’s because we, as consumers, increasingly recognise that many brands use authenticity as a fancy facade to hide their true intentions. And those intentions are often focused on profit, profit and more profit, at any cost. As a result, these cynical brands have ruined authenticity for the rest of us, and it’s pissing me off big time!
Can we reverse this damage? I think we can, but it’s going to take some work. As human-centred brands, we need to take a different approach, one that prioritises authenticity in every aspect of our businesses — without shouting about it as if it’s a big deal. I mean, it kinda *_is_* a big deal, but really it should just be the norm. We shouldn’t have to question someone’s authenticity, but here we are.
Tune in to hear my take on this!
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