04 / 07 / 10 / the truth hurts a society of sceptics a ...€¦ · november / 2019. volume one /...

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07 / A SOCIETY OF SCEPTICS

No cause. No effect

10 / A REAL WASH OUT

The advent of fake brands

04 /THE TRUTH HURTS

Or does it?

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Having recently attended a panel on ‘Above and beyond activism: what’s next’ at the Festival of Marketing in London, I was inspired to explore the evolving relationship between people and brands, the increasing challenge of building trust, the need for clear purpose and the difference between promise and action.

Never before have we seen such widespread scrutiny of, and scepticism towards, businesses and brands. Individuals have found their voice, and they are not afraid to make themselves heard. Their opinions and expectations echo across today’s

digital, multichannel environment and this is changing the way organisations operate.

Brands are increasingly being held accountable, and so they should be.

The Knowledge was created to help businesses navigate the modern b2b marketing landscape. We hope you enjoy reading the authenticity issue. May it help spark new ideas on how to shape your brand for the better.

Francesca MacKenzieEditor

I’m delighted to introduce this month’s issue of The Knowledge, which covers brand authenticity.

EDITOR’SNOTE

A IS FOR AUTHENTICITY

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It’s time for brands to get real. Brand authenticity isn’t a new concept, but it is more in demand than ever before.

This year has seen a gradual decline in the era of ‘fake’ and consumers worldwide are hungry for the real deal when it comes to the companies they interact with.

Fake news has been exposed, influencers have been called out for having false follower figures or for selling products they don’t truly believe in, and brands whose values conflict with their actions (or a lack thereof) have been condemned by ever-critical consumers.

People today are no longer focused solely on the end product, they expect today’s brands to have real opinions, values and commitments.

THE knowledgeTHE AUTHENTICITY ISSUE

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THE TRUTH HURTS… OR DOES IT?‘The quality of being authentic’; that’s what you get after typing ‘authenticity’ into Google. So, what is ‘authentic’, this mystical state we’re aspiring to be, and looking for in every brand we interact with? Do we really know what it means?

Pushing dictionary definitions to one side, authenticity is about speaking plainly and consistently, and, most importantly, keeping promises. After all, actions speak louder than words.

A brand’s values should run through everything, from its mission, to its daily operations, to its future vision. Consumers want brands to stand for more than just profits, conduct their operations with transparency and integrity, really mean what they say and ‘walk the talk’.

Half-heartedness is no longer an option, and consumers are more likely to respect a brand that admits its faults and shortcomings than a brand that misleads people and lies about its values and actions.

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Millennials are 50% more likely

to purchase from a company that

supports a cause.1

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1. Frontify, The age of authenticity: Why brands needs to get real, https://www.frontify.com/en/blog/the-age-of-authenticity-why-brands-need-to-get-real/

2. Ibid

A SCEPTICAL SOCIETY As touched upon earlier, the age of ‘fake’ is coming to an end and it’s much harder to pull the wool over the eyes of today’s switched on consumers. Companies need to take authenticity seriously or face the wrath of millennials and Generation Z who will hold them accountable and have the ability to do some serious damage to their brand reputation, by exposing their flaws.

But it’s not just a case of brands needing to stop misleading people, they need to learn the art of communicating their genuine intentions and actions, so that consumers trust what they are saying and believe in what they are selling.

Traditional advertising doesn’t really cut it anymore; in fact, it has far less impact on millennials than it did on their predecessors – with less than 1% of millennials now influenced by it.2

Suspicious of being sold to and prone to asking, ‘what’s the catch?’, they’re searching for the real story, desire something candid, and in many cases want to engage only with brands that are committed to serving the greater good. And it’s not just millennials – Generation Z are fast making their mark on the B2B and B2C landscapes.


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IS PURPOSE THE NEW BRAND CURRENCY?Today’s forward-thinking brands strive to create a connection with consumers and thereby enhance their credibility as a brand. Some do this effectively by identifying issues that their target audiences care about and then actively addressing these issues as part of their brand purpose. Take Nike, for example. Back in 2018 the company made its stance against racial injustice and police brutality clear by featuring Colin Kaepernick, an American football player who refused to stand for the national anthem, in its 30th anniversary campaign.

This was divisive, no doubt, but its power and influence transcended any criticism and strengthened the brand’s authenticity as a company ready to fight for what it believes in, despite any potential backlash.

And think about Patagonia. Ever since it began, the brand has kept to its mission statement to build the best products without causing any unnecessary harm to the environment. How does it do this? It runs through every level of the business, from the raw materials used, to a sustainable supply chain, to charity donations, to campaigns for environ-mental causes.

Not only that, it uses its product advertising to ask consumers to think about what they’re buying, where the materials come from and the impact this has on the wider world. The brand’s influence stems from its successful alignment of core values and marketing.4

3. Amelia Brophy at Festival of Marketing, Marketing Week, Why brands are taking a political stand, https://www.marketingweek.com/yougov-brands-taking-political-stand/

4. Instapage, Brand Authenticity: 5 examples of companies making a profit while being authentic, https://instapage.com/blog/building-brand-authenticity


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A REAL WASH OUTTrust, transparency and consistency. The importance of these three concepts in the quest for true brand authenticity is undeniable.

Without any one of these elements present, things can go downhill rapidly for businesses. This is especially true when considering ‘greenwashing’. Often, brands think that the easiest way to tap into an ethos with its own substantial following is to ‘go green’. And they’re not wrong (in some ways); 90% of American consumers consider the environment when choosing what to buy.5 But greenwashing is a whole other story – when brands ‘say one thing and do another’ kind of story.

Take McDonald’s as a classic example. In 2018, it announced that it would be swapping single-use plastic straws across the fast food chain with paper alternatives. Great, right? Well, all wasn’t what it seemed. Just the following year, leaked information revealed that the straws weren’t actually recyclable. And that’s not all – the company has been under the spotlight for years for controversy over its environmental claims. With the rise in popularity of veganism and plant-based diets, the sustainability of their meat sources has been called into question. McDonald’s also currently produces 1.5 million tons of waste annually.6 While the brand continues to promote its sustainability goals, it’ll be interesting to see how long it can keep making these claims without having something tangible to show for it.

But that’s not the only wash out causing friction in the world of brand authenticity. Every year as we roll into June, brands begin to use the rainbow flag to show their support for the LGBTQIA+ community. But is this true, authentic support? Or is it just

‘rainbow washing’?

Rainbow washing is a term usually used when a company updates their logo or a key product to include a rainbow to mark the beginning of pride month, to jump on the band wagon of a consumer movement with the hope of increasing sales. Brands have been criticised for using this celebration of diversity and inclusion as an excuse to market their products without truly supporting this community.7

5. Medium, Transparency makes a brand sustainable, https://medium.com/@wodenworks/transparency-makes-a-brand-sustainable-851ff1132893

6. the rising, Business, McDonald’s gets called out for plastic pollution. Will it actually change?, https://therising.co/2019/07/15/mcdonalds-gets-called-out-for-plastic-pollution-will-it-actually-change/

7. Branding Strategy Insider, How rainbow-washing threatens brands, https://www.brandingstrategyinsider.com/2019/06/how-rainbow-washing-threatens-brands.html#.XbcgOC2cb6d

8. Medium, Transparency makes a brand sustainable, https://medium.com/@wodenworks/transparency-makes-a-brand-sustainable-851ff1132893

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SO, HOW CAN BRANDS BE MORE AUTHENTIC?Here are some key considerations, in no particular order, that B2B marketers should take into account when it comes to brand authenticity:

1. Bring a human touch In this world of mistrust, businesses are looking at how to humanise their brands and engage their customers in a whole new way. Consumers want to feel valued, to have one-to-one conversations and talk to their favourite brands like they’d talk to their friends. So really all brands have to do is behave like humans. Which, really, shouldn’t be all that difficult.

The Drum determined a couple of ways brands can ‘be more authentically human’. First up, understanding. Brands need to be in tune with their customers, to know what really matters to them – remember the Nike example. This isn’t just a case of conducting your classic

audience research, it’s about empathy, connection and “bringing the consumer closer into your business or product development.”9

Next, brands need to be honest. Think about your closest human relationships, honesty and truth are a big part of them, right? As discussed, brands can’t hide nowadays and it’s a constant battle to maintain a positive reputation. So honest communication regarding a company’s shortcomings, as well as its positive actions, in relation to its values is important. Showing vulnerability is a key human trait to channel so that cus-tomers know a brand is more than just a corporate, money making machine.

2. Align your brand values across everything

Brands can’t hide; they are more scrutinised than ever in today’s online, multichannel environment where everyone can see everything in real

time, so it’s important to maintain consistency across every communication platform. What a brand says online lives forever, as many celebrity ‘brands’ have discovered in recent years.

Here are a few tips to consider for communication across all platforms with existing and potential customers.

• Have a brand story – a core message/mission statement that runs across everything. Keep it consistent and relevant to your audience group and don’t be greedy – not everyone’s going to love what your brand values or does, so stay focused on the right people.

• Have a clear brand voice and use it to engage in conversation with your audiences. Reach out and join con-versations, and, although it may seem obvious, if you receive questions – answer them!

9. The Drum, Opinion, The growing importance of humanising your brand, https://www.thedrum.com/opinion/2018/05/09/the-growing-importance-humanising-your-brand

10. Frontify, The age of authenticity: Why brands needs to get real, https://www.frontify.com/en/blog/the-age-of-authenticity-why-brands-need-to-get-real/

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“83% of consumers like it when a brand responds on social media”10

• Influence but don’t dictate. Consumers don’t want to be told what to do, they want to be inspired. So be a pillar of strength and integrity, a brand they can return to again and again in the knowledge they’ll always receive honest and authentic content.

• Show how your brand upholds its values and delivers on your commitments – people want to see that your brand is taking action and keeping its promises.

3. Start at the top

For a brand to live its most authentic self, its values must be reflected at every level of the organisation, from the CEO to the shop floor. This is most important in the company culture. If a brand is being promoted

as sustainable, then it needs to be sustainable. It’s no good for a business to declare that it is dedicated to lowering its carbon footprint and then the CEO tweets his or her view that climate change doesn’t exist. Granted, an exaggerated example, but the point still remains. It’s easy for consumers to “reveal the cognitive dissonance between what a brand says it stands for, and the reality.”11 It may be a clichéd phrase, but ‘practise what you preach’ has great relevance here.

B2C brand Ben & Jerry’s is being applauded for upholding its brand values through its actions. The iconic ice cream company’s commitment to social change runs through every aspect of the organisation. And where does it start? At the very top with its founders.

“It’s about being a whole, collective organisation; that is how we can work

on real issues because we have people in the organisation who believe in this stuff […] We’re a company with a set of values, we’re not a brand.” Ed Shepherd, Head of Activism, Ben and Jerry’s

Ben & Jerry’s is just one example of how tapping into and caring about issues that affect the wider world takes the business beyond just products and shows how the company has become a voice working towards its view of a brighter future.

11. Forbes, Brand Authenticity: Is it really that complicated?, https://www.forbes.com/sites/nikkibaird/2018/08/03/brand-authenticity-is-it-really-that-complicated/#ca5fb3481e09

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Authenticity is about where it comes from; validity is about whether it works. John Michael Greer

GO THE EXTRA MILEDespite all the challenges brands are thrown nowadays, authenticity is possible. Regardless of whether its B2C or B2B, the fundamentals remain the same. Talking to customers in a way they’ll relate to, with honesty, transparency and humanity will pay dividends. Brands shouldn’t hide mistakes, but embrace them and show how they are continually trying to improve.

Businesses should make sure their brand aims and aspirations are consistent and that everyone is aligned and on board. And if a brand says it is going to support a cause, it needs to support a cause.

There are a number of B2C companies now paving the way towards a more authentic brand experience, but strong B2B examples remain to be seen. Now is the time for B2B companies to break ground and lead the way in authenticity.

Only then will they answer the expectations of younger generations that will be the decision makers of the future. Remember, authenticity creates respect, which leads to brand loyalty and longevity that money can’t buy.

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04 / 07 / 10 / the truth hurts a society of sceptics a ...€¦ · november / 2019. volume one /...

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