The Chase After Brand Authenticity
With a look at AI’s implications
Hey friend,
How are you? I hope you find time to slow down and recharge. There’s nothing like taking a distance from it all to gain new perspectives.
Speaking about distance, when you step back and think of all the great stories that left an impression on you, it’s often the case of a few details directly mapping to your personal history or the authenticity of the characters.
What is Authenticity?
“You're true to your personality, values, and spirit, regardless
of the pressure that you're under to act otherwise.
You're honest with yourself and with others,
and you take responsibility for your mistakes.
Your values, ideals, and actions align.
As a result, you come across as genuine, and you’re
willing to accept the consequences of being
true to what you consider to be right.”
-Mind Tools
In short, it’s a human trait that conveys:
“This is who I am, I stand by it, no matter what others think.”
Prominent celebrity examples you may think of include Nelson Mandela, Rosa Parks, Malala Yousafzai, Beyoncé, Willie Nelson, and many others.
They all hold a unique brand identity or narrative they’ve been expressing through relatable stories - be it songs, speeches, or deeds - supported by memorable visual representations - that served as proof points to their distinct personal brand.
It’s that uncompromising meaningful story, memorable delivery, and trademark visual - that set them apart.
If you want to build a relatable brand, treat it not as an abstract idea, but as a person.
As such, Brand Authenticity follows the same logic:
“It’s the extent to which consumers perceive a brand to be faithful toward itself, true to its consumers, motivated by caring and responsibility, and able to support consumers in being true to themselves”
-Developers of the Perceived Brand Authenticity Scale
How can you achieve brand authenticity?
Start by first knowing
Your company’s vision or brand narrative.
Values your brand stands for.
Your company’s mission.
Your brand culture.
Your unique visual branding.
And hey, like Willie Nelson’s signature style staying true and consistent to your “brand music and look.”
The most important thing is to tell stories that truly reflect your audience's interests and pain points. No big surprise here, right?
It also helps if you tell your story as if it was meant for your best trusted friend.
Sharing vulnerabilities while sticking to your message and style creates a sense of intimacy, that breeds empathy, trust, and later action.
I covered this in:
And:
Brand Authenticity in the age of AI
I bet you’re thinking AI and authenticity are complete opposites. And you’ll be right.
Here is how I think AI will affect brand authenticity in the short and long terms.