Why Authenticity Matters in a Noisy World
When we define a brand, we start with the mission statement. This is the reason the company exists. And if it is something around "delivering above-average returns to our stockholders" it tends not to be motivating, for employees, prospects, customers, or frankly even those stockholders we mentioned. And it's not just how the brand is reflected in advertising, at retail locations, or in social media that matters; it is how the brand lives its mission in strategic decisions, in the products it develops, and in how it expects employees to behave.
My career started in advertising, and after I received my MBA, I went to work in brand management for Pillsbury. Pillsbury manufactured baked goods in factories, but what our products did was bring families together though making it easier to put a meal or dessert on the table. I worked on cookies and, believe me, it was not health food; but it wasn't intended to be.
It's not that consumers used to just trust brands or just buy what advertisers told them to, but with social media influencing decisions, the role of marketers is subjugated to that of peers. Why trust an advertisement? I trust what I see, hear, and experience; secondarily I trust what someone else has seen, heard, or experienced. This means a brand has to deliver on what they say they are deliver on. They have to walk the walk, not just talk the talk. This is true especially for millennial audiences, who require authenticity from their brands. You cannot spend enough marketing to make up for an experience with the brand that is diametrically opposed to what they stand for. Another area of authenticity - it means a brand will not appeal to everyone.
My last two companies are large health care organizations and it's a challenging industry in many ways as it's a complex services with a convoluted payment system and multiple entities in any interaction. However, in both instances, just about every employee can state the mission off of the top of their head and understand what it means for their job. In fact, in annual employee surveys, it's often reflected as a reason why someone continues their employment or feels loyalty to the company. The marketing reflects the mission of the organization, and its delivered in the care setting.
What other brands stand out as authentic?
Wildfang is one; it's a local company that was inspired by adopting menswear for badass women. They sell a wildly popular Wild Feminist t-shirt and raised funds for an abortion clinic in South Dakota, the only clinic in South Dakota, actually. The co-founder and CEO Emma McIlroy spoke at a recent event, noting that's she's not very popular in South Dakota these days, but she is wildly popular on the West Coast. You can't please everyone.
Another one is Telsa. Elon Musk's company never wavered on selling electric cars, that could have mass-market appeal. They didn't hedge their bets on a hybrid and hammered home the message that you don't have to trade off style or features for sustainability.
Patagonia brings sustainable products to market; the company works to educate people about the impact of production on the environment and works to keep their products as sustainable as possible.
Let's talk Zappos. Buying shoes is hard when you can't try them on. So they set out to make it easy to shop, even encouraging their sales associates on the phone to talk as long as they like. Free shipping? Sure. Free return delivery? It's all about fun and easy to shop.
People want to do business with companies and brands they feel like they can know and trust. The want to work for companies that share their values. Your job is to ensure your marketing, the customer experience, and social media engagement all reflect the mission and values of your company. You can't fake authenticity!
