Authenticity: where brands (and people) go wrong and how to get better

Authenticity, which used to be synonymous with being truthful, is increasingly used as a buzzword when talking about a brand’s image. We know consumers seek out authenticity, with 74 percent believing transparent messaging is more important now than pre-pandemic. 

Equally, consumers are used to seeing organisations which appear to be ‘authentic’ but are in fact curating an identity. This blurs the line between what’s real and what’s fake, which in turn breaks down trust and encourages stakeholders to disengage. 

As authenticity is one of our core values, our co-founder Dominic’s latest content series delves into exactly what we mean by this, where UK brands are going wrong, and how they can get better at it.

What is true authenticity (and what is it not)? 

The three pillars of being truly authentic are being intentional, consistent, and honest. 

This means really understanding your values, and ensuring you are consistently aligning what you say you do with what you actually  do.

In practice, authenticity means understanding that you won’t always have the answer. Being transparent with your consumers and wider stakeholders will build trust, showing them your ability to think long-term, without building a web of lies to untangle later down the line. 

This trumps giving an answer for the sake of it, which suggests you are more focused on appearances than the truth. In addition, authenticity is not an excuse to be rude under the guise of being honest, and similarly, it isn’t a fake version of your brand, in the hope of getting on people’s right side. 

How to ensure your personal brand is authentic? 

Although authenticity means being true to yourself, this isn’t always as straightforward as it sounds. We see this particularly play out when it comes to presenting our personal self within a professional setting, including on social channels like LinkedIn. 

The first step here is to really know who you are and who you want to be. It’s important to carefully look at your strengths, values, and, the most challenging, your weaknesses. 

Once you have a clear idea of this,, make sure you are consistent -, whether it’s in meetings, conversations (in person and online), or when speaking at events. This consistency will tell your audience you are intentional, and true to yourself, rather than telling them what they want to hear at any given time. 

A tricky part of this is balancing professionalism with vulnerability, ensuring you are not too personal, but also not too polished.  This can be particularly tough on online platforms. Imagine you are speaking face-to-face with someone and adopt the same techniques. For example, sharing your own lived experiences as a form of storytelling to convey your key points. 

How to be authentic as a company brand 

Your starting point should always be your values. Without understanding these, you won’t get anywhere. Once you’ve got these down, ensure your brand embodies them, and make this clear to your communities, customers, and stakeholders. Your brand personality is what your stakeholder experiences, so it’s essential you are consistent and you know what you stand for. 

It can be tempting to jump on micro trends, with a new buzzword popping up every five minutes. But be cautious, and make sure it is consistent with your brand’s vision and personality first. If you need an example of what authenticity looks like in an organisation’s messaging, global not for profit IFAW is a great place to start. 

The pitfalls to be aware of

One easy trap to fall into is overly communicating how authentic you are. It’s always better to show than tell. Also, it may seem like a given, but inventing stories of vulnerability or hardship in order to seem relatable will mean your consumers will lose all trust in you. For example, when a brand issues a story with an emotive headline for the sake of clicks, rather than trying to create a genuine connection, readers will see through this. 

A more subtle way that brands fall short is through spreading disinformation. For example, brands are increasingly called out for Greenwashing, where  climate claims don’t add up to  actual action. As recently reported in The Guardian, water companies in England are softening language surrounding sewage discharges to ‘water recycling centres’, resulting in low public trust for not only its activity, but lack of transparency. 

Our key takeaway

If your values are firmly cemented in your brand’s strategy, you can’t go far wrong when it comes to being authentic. Keep the word consistency  front of mind, and ensure all activity is intentionally aligned to your long-term goals and objectives, not short-term wins. 

To find out about our approach to PR, and how you and your brand  can communicate authentically and sincerely, read more here.