Brand Authenticity

Today, lets talk about Brand Authenticity.

Brand authenticity may sound like its a mouthful, but its actually very simple to understand. The word authentic simply means original or genuine. Hence, authentic brand is defined as brands that are trustworthy, and are neither false nor unoriginal, in short, genuine and original.

So why does authenticity matter?

In this era where consumers are given an abundance of choices with regards to products and brands, consumers are constantly drawn towards brands with an original story, and a sincere commitment to deliver what they promise. Essentially, authenticity is about practising what you preach; being clear about who you are and what you do best.

Authenticity Drivers

In the context of branding, I have identified 7 key drivers of brand authenticity:

Originality - The extent to which a brand has brought something new or different into the market

Personal Utility - The extent to which a brand delivers real utility to users that they feel they cannot live without

Declared Believes - The extent to which a brand stands out for more than just making profits

Sincerity - The extent to which a brand tries hard not to let people down

Familiarity - The extent to which a brand is widely known to everyone

Momentum - The extent to which a brand has an aura of becoming more popular

Heritage - The extent to which a brand has a relevant and engaging story.

Sometimes I find that some theories are very difficult to understand, therefore I find the use of examples very useful in explaining complicated theories and concepts, which is why I always make an attempt to include examples in my posts. Having said that, I came up with an example for every driver of authenticity:

Brand with an originality

Apple is a great example of a brand of originality.  Not only have they consistently introduced new products into the market, they are provided quality is every aspect of their brand, which makes them the passionate artisans behind that original brand.

Brand with a personal utility

Google is the best example of the brand with a personal utility.  In  this age where everyone is heavily reliant on internet, it is very obvious why Google is the best search engine and why people cannot live without it.

Brand with declared believes

The body shop brand really stands out for more than just making profits. They position themselves as a  highly ethical business who sells products which are 100% free of animal testing, 100% environmental friendly, 100% community fair trade, and the company 100% defends human rights. This is why they stand out.

Brand with sincerity

Qantas is a good example of a sincere brand.  They are always trying their best  not to let  their customers down.  They have been constantly providing high quality air line services.

Brand with familiarity

Im pretty sure this brand is familiar to everyone, and  I mean EVERYONE. Coca Cola has reached global presence and its been an all time favourite classic drink for consumers.

Brand with momentum

Volkswagen is increasingly becoming very popular thanks to its marketing and brand building efforts. Volkswagen consumers have strongly associated themselves of being satisfied with the cars they buy (high technology, great quality, affordable price). Volkswagen is now a leading brand within the car market for this simple reason: It has a history behind it and also a great product portfolio. This brand is growing and its growing BIG!

Brand with a heritage 

Indeed, Campbell's brand is a brand with a heritage.  Campbell's long history of producing canned products can be backdated to its inception year in 1869 when the company first produced canned tomatoes and vegetables, jellies, soups, condiments and minced meats. Then in 1897, Campbell's invented the condensed soup and this invention revolutionised soup. Engaging story indeed!

Hope you''ll find this post very interesting and give you an insight of the authentic brands you've been purchasing and believing all these while. Feel free to add any comments or include any other brands you find fits the authentic brand category and we can definitely talk about it.

Cheers for now.