Transparency: The Key to Brand Authenticity

Customer testimonials and money-back guarantees won’t cut it with today’s generation of consumers.

Consumers have always wanted the brands they support to be authentic. Back in the day, this looked like positive customer testimonials or money-back guarantees. However, those tactics alone won’t cut it anymore because today’s consumers — millennials and Gen Z especially — expect more from the brands they believe in. According to a 2019 Stackla Data Report, 90% of consumers said authenticity is important when deciding what brands they support and 51% think less than half of brand created content is authentic. If the latter sounds like your brand, don’t fret. There are several methods you can use to appease the modern consumer.

90% of consumers said authenticity is important when deciding what brands they support and 51% think less than half of brand created content is authentic

One way to achieve this is through tactical, fast first steps. These can be particularly effective if you want to generate buzz around a newly launched product or campaign experience. In this time of social distancing, many brands are looking to live streaming to virtually connect with their fans. Consumers love it because it feels organic and off-the-cuff. Plus, it presents opportunities for real-time engagement with fans that’s far more substantial than a static social post or a video published on a microsite.

Take for example The Home Depot and their tagline: “How doers get more done.” To help doers DIY their holiday decorations, they partnered with Martha Stewart for a holiday crafting live stream where she used products from the Martha Stewart Living collection that consumers can purchase at their local Home Depot. No pre-production tricks, no gimmicks, the live stream event was Home Depot’s strategically sound opportunity to not only empower consumers to bring their holiday vision to life, but also establish trust in the brand’s ability to provide everything they need to pull it off.

This is your chance to explore and define your values and make sure they’re visible for everyone to see

You might also consider implementing a more fundamental approach. This is great if your brand doesn’t quite fit into the “purpose-driven” category because it involves fine-tuning your brand’s core. What’s your mission? Is it generically bland or is it undoubtedly unique? What do you do that makes your customers — and the world — better? This is your chance to explore and define your values and make sure they’re visible for everyone to see. If you care about diversity & inclusion, highlight the diversity within your workforce and put systems in place to build it further. Do you care about the environment? Show the sustainable initiatives you’re taking to fight climate change. Simply put, be open and honest about who you are.

If done correctly, the fundamental approach will lay the groundwork that guides a wide variety of strategically sound initiatives down the line including revamping your employee experience, discovering new corporate partnerships, and even optimizing your overall business model. And the best part of all? Consumers will love you even more for it.

Dove for example prides itself on recognizing women’s beauty in all its forms. This simple, yet powerful mindset drives their commitment to consumers and talent of all shades, shapes and sizes. From establishing the CROWN Coalition that aims to abolish workplace discrimination towards natural hairstyles to zero-tolerance policies to protect their employees, suppliers, customers, and partners, Dove uses its vision to shape itself into an inclusive and transparent brand with unrivaled trust in the market.

Whether you choose to go tactical or fundamental, being transparent is the key to authenticity.

If you’re not sure where to start, SWITCH can help. Our team uses data and design to get to the heart of your brand and create authentic solutions that speak to the hearts of consumers.