“Our Brand is Authentic”: Why This Isn't Helping You
Most small businesses and entrepreneurs I work with say they are authentic. And why wouldn't you? It sounds good. Who doesn’t want to be authentic? The thing is, most of them don't really know what this means when asked to explain. The hard truth is that words like authentic or heart-led don’t help your branding process or messaging at all. Your audience doesn’t know what you mean. In order for "authenticity" to be an actually useful concept for your brand, you have to know what it is you're being authentic to. Using high-concept words and phrases gets you nowhere fast if there is no deeper meaning behind them. The benefits of strategic branding are that your message is clear to your audience and is something they can rally around. You know where you're at and who you are, you know what you're working toward, and you stand out from your competitors. When all that is in place, you stop spinning your wheels with your marketing messaging.
Dive Deeper: Going Beyond Surface-Level
Instead of simply saying "our brand is authentic," it's important to dig deeper and understand the true meaning of authenticity for your brand. Here are some questions to consider:
What is the brand's personality? Is your brand playful, serious, or professional? What tone do you want to convey in your brand messaging? Understanding your brand's personality helps you create a consistent and authentic voice for your brand.
What are your brand's values? Your brand values are the guiding principles that shape your brand's identity and culture. What do you stand for as a brand? What beliefs and values do you want to convey to your audience? Authenticity comes from aligning your brand's actions and messages with your core values.
What is your brand's mission? Your brand's mission is its purpose, the reason why it exists. What problem does your brand solve? What impact do you want to make in the lives of your customers? A clear and compelling brand mission adds depth and meaning to your brand, making it more authentic and purpose-driven.
What big problem is your brand helping to solve? Authenticity goes beyond just stating your brand's mission. It's about understanding the bigger problem that your brand is helping to solve. What pain points are your customers facing? How does your brand provide a solution? Understanding the emotional and practical needs of your audience allows you to create messaging that sound real because it is real and that is often what people mean when they say “authentic”.
Why is it philosophically wrong for your customer to face that problem? To truly connect with your audience, you need to go beyond the surface-level benefits of your products or services. Understanding the underlying emotions and beliefs of your customers helps you create a compelling narrative that resonates with them. By tapping into the philosophical and emotional aspects of the problem your brand is solving, you can create a more meaningful and authentic brand story.
Strategic Branding
Saying your brand is authentic without delving deeper won’t get you to a place of connection and resonance with your audience. It's important to move beyond buzzwords and cliches and instead focus on developing a strategic branding approach that aligns with your brand's values, mission, and audience.
Through a strategic branding process, you can gain clarity on your brand's identity, purpose, and positioning. This involves conducting a thorough analysis of your target audience, competitors, and market, and defining your brand's unique value proposition. By understanding your brand's personality, values, mission, and the problem you're solving, you can create a solid foundation for an authentic brand that resonates with your audience.
Once you have a clear brand strategy in place, it's crucial to consistently communicate your brand's authenticity across all touchpoints, including your messaging, brand design, website design, brand visuals, tone of voice, and customer interactions. Consistency is key in building trust and credibility with your audience, as it reinforces the authenticity of your brand.
Another important aspect of developing an authentic brand is being transparent and genuine with your audience. Avoid using generic or exaggerated claims, and instead focus on being truthful and real in your brand messaging. Share your brand's story, values, and mission in an authentic and relatable way that resonates with your audience. This helps to build a genuine connection with your customers and creates a sense of trust and loyalty.
It's also essential to actively engage with your audience and listen to their feedback. Authenticity involves being open to feedback, addressing concerns, and showing genuine care and concern for your customers. This creates a positive impression and fosters a strong relationship between your brand and your audience.
In addition to understanding the internal aspects of your brand, it's crucial to have a deep understanding of your target audience. Authenticity is not just about what you say, but also about how well you understand and connect with your audience. Conduct market research, gather customer insights, and listen to their needs and preferences. Use this information to tailor your brand messaging, products, and services to better serve your audience and create an authentic connection with them.
Furthermore, incorporating storytelling into your brand can greatly enhance a feeling of authenticity with your audience. Share stories that are meaningful, relatable, and genuine, whether it's about the founders, employees, customers, the brand's journey, and passion for what it does. Storytelling allows you to humanize your brand and create emotional connections with your audience. Stories help to build trust, credibility, and loyalty among your customers.
In conclusion, while claiming that your brand is authentic may sound good, it's important to go beyond superficial authenticity and truly understand what it means for your brand. Whatever authenticity means for your brand should be rooted in your brand's personality, values, mission, and the problem you're solving. So, instead of just saying "our brand is authentic," dive deeper and figure out what your brand is being authentic to on a deeper level.
