AUTHENTICITY
GOING BEYOND THE BUZZ APRIL 12, 2017
Real is Rarely Real Anymore During the 2016 Cannes Lions Festival of Creativity, we lost track of how many times we heard advertisers use the word
“authenticity.” But consumers are more cynical than ever. They don’t like being dazzled as much as they like being convinced that products – and the people behind those products – have souls. The task remains to figure out what resonates with customers as authentic.
- Excerpt from: ZEITGUIDE, 2017 Cultural Almanac The word authenticity is a noun, which represents the quality of being authentic. The definition of “authentic” implies being fully trustworthy as according with fact.* Essentially, if someone or something claims to be authentic, they’re claiming to be fully trustworthy – something highly sought-after by consumers and highly profitable for brands. However, with the rise in authenticity claims, the trust in brands, products, and ambassadors being truly authentic has dropped significantly. As stated in the above excerpt from ZEITGUIDE, our goal at elevator remains to cut through the noise of “authenticity” and speak to consumers in a truly authentic voice.
* Merriam Webster – Synonym Discussion of AUTHENTIC: https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/authentic
WHEN BRANDS ARE
TRULY AUTHENTIC The peak shopping season for most major retailers in North America begins on Black Friday and continues up until shortly after Boxing Day. During this timeframe, many retailers will generate anywhere between 40 -90% of their yearly revenue, with much of that revenue being generated on Black Friday itself. So when REI, a major outdoors outfitter in the US, opted to close their stores on Black Friday in 2015 for their first #OptOutside campaign, many thought they had literally lost their minds. However, what was missed by most in the retail world was that REI had found something – that being truly authentic means bucking conventional wisdom.
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REI’s move signals a massive shift in the way companies are doing business and marketing themselves. The new reality is that as customers become more skilled at, and have better technology for, managing their many brand relationships, they will weed out or ignore companies that fail to sufficiently understand their needs and deliver value against them. This is the new consumerism -empowered, entrepreneurial and enabled. AdAge, Why REI’s #OptOutside Is a Model for the Future of Marketing By Charles Trevail. Published on November 03, 2015.
While not every brand can take such a bold action as REI, every brand does have the opportunity to unlock something that truly represents who they are at the core. Over the past year, we’ve been focusing on the concepts of “at the core” and “authenticity” and have developed a few key learnings.
Source: JWP Canadian Total Retail 2016 Report
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k o o b y a l P y t i c i t n The Authe Never replicate The example of REI is a tempting example to replicate. It has all the markers of an award-winning, omni-channel campaign that marketing and PR professionals love. The problem is that no other brand can own the #OptOutside campaign. Other outdoor apparel companies could claim to have similar core values, but exact replication would make the brand appear less authentic and more generic (or worst, just a copycat). #OptOutside taught us is that it’s important for brands to take a stance that reflects their values (in REI’s case: against consumerism) and then build campaigns around that stance.
Pick your platform wisely There is a saying for brands that jump from one platform (social media, mobile apps, etc.) to another: “Shiny object syndrome.” Basically, it refers to companies that chase after what they perceive to be cool, in hopes that they too become cool. This is not a moniker you want. However, brands like Taco Bell have become extremely successful by capitalizing on new tools like Snapchat. This is because Taco Bell exudes confidence and a willingness to try and fail. Through their consistency of “fail fast”, trying new things is a part of their authentic approach. When we’re selecting platforms, we always ask ourselves two simple questions: “If our brand were a human, would they use this?” If yes, then: “do we fully understand the language and nuances of the platform & how should our brand approach them?”
Be cautious with general advice It is tempting to do what everyone else is doing. If your competition has pictures of their employees doing charity work on their website, you’ll feel you should have the same pictures on your site. If everyone is talking about having a “face for the brand” you’ll begin looking for that “face.” While some recommendations are good, most are generic and not authentic to you. That’s why it is important to distill trends down to their core elements and then decide to move forward only after you’ve mapped those elements back to your brand’s purpose. This is generally how we approach all opportunities. Sure, on paper they all look great – but which one’s map back to our client’s core purpose? That helps us focus on being fiercely authentic.
Authenticity is a five-syllable word that has been thrown around a lot lately. However, for brands that truly embrace being authentic, it is often a gamechanger in winning both the consumer’s attention and trust.
Drop us a line If you want to build trust and infuse this thinking into your communications plan, why not drop us an email at:
melanie@elevatorinc.com
elevatorinc.com
416-363-6444 @elevatorinc
Many thanks to i cons, aguycalledgary, Stefan de Haan, Patrice Curci, Arthur Shlain, dilayorganci, LA Great Streets, and Alepio at thenounproject.com for the icons.