Authenticity is the single most powerful differentiator that brands can deploy to distinguish themselves from competitors and leave a lasting impression.
Being authentic can mean a number of things. Charging your branding and marketing with emotion, for one. Creating an emotional connection with the viewer is an effective way to ensure a lasting impression. This capitalizes on the way that the human brain catalogs and stores memories. Memories with a stronger emotional association are logged as being more important and remembered in greater detail.
Making your brand voice more human is another great tactic. Many brands make the mistake of using a very corporate brand voice. This type of voice comes off as being sterile and distant. Injecting some humanity and emotion into your brand’s customer-facing language can go a long way.
Being more conversational in customer service is another way of being authentic. Positioning your brand so that any customer can reach you at any time and receive a human response in a reasonable amount of time.
Lastly, sometimes authentic brands put themselves out there. Whether that is taking a public stand for something that the company believes in, or owning up to a mistake in an honest and humble way, it resonates with customers and immediately garners respect.
In today’s market, successful brands are those that are evidently driven by a greater purpose, connect with customers on a one-to-one level, display their humanity, and are not afraid to stand for something. Today’s consumer wants to support brands that have values, not corporate monoliths driven by profit.