Take a moment to Google “marketing trends 2015” and you are sure to find “authenticity” at the top of most lists.  Why has it become so important to be authentic? Leadership classes are espousing its importance and brand curators are calling it the secret sauce. In The New Marketing Manifesto, John Grant states that: “authenticity is the benchmark against which all brands are now judged.”

The times of taking a brand at face-value are long over; the zealous search for information has made authenticity a coveted commodity. Mission-driven products are gaining new followers in droves as consumers flock to buy the latest organic, sustainably produced coffee, t-shirts and anything else they can get their hands on. Consumers want to know what they are buying and whom they are buying it from and now they have the resources to find that information.

The same holds true for corporate enterprises. Businesses are seeking to establish partnerships with vendors they can trust; the first step in establishing that trust is creating an authentic brand. As Seth Godin puts it: “if you can fake authenticity, the rest will take care of itself.”

Many companies have built successful, authentic brands without being “authentic” at all. Consider The Onion with its farcical takes on news reporting; it gains its authenticity by loudly proclaiming that its stories are fiction. The goal is to be truthful and transparent; to be proud of your company, your message and your products.

In the coming month we will continue to examine authenticity and how it plays into the corporate world. Which brands resonate with you as being “authentic”? Are there any that seem to be “faking-it”? Let me know in the comments; I would love to hear your authentic thoughts.

Related Posts

But What Should I Talk About?

Big Companies. Big Personality.

Being Audacious