What is ‘Authenticity’ in Marketing?

Digiday spoke to several brand executives who gave definitions of what it means to be authentic in today’s marketing landscape.

Kyle Sherwin, vp of media, Sony Music
As usual, it’s a word that is so overused by an industry that loves its soup du jour that it becomes almost meaningless. The original “idea” of authenticity was essentially a way for corporations to attempt to not sound corporate in their marketing efforts — or at the very least to stay true to their essence. Increasingly in the social age, it has come to mean a way for brands to be conversational, to be colloquial — a means of presenting yourself as a brand in words, in visuals, in advertising and in customer service — that is more direct and everyday and friendly than perhaps you have been or you think your competition is. I would say “real,” but that is simply the same side of the same coin and doesn’t get you anywhere.

Rick Maynard, senior manager of public relations, KFC
KFC’s social purpose is to celebrate “real.” To us, being real means being honest, inclusive, boldly unapologetic, refreshingly to the point, insightful and occasionally, a little edgy. We steer clear of being artificial, judgmental, insecure, full of hot air, timid or gimmicky. We try to celebrate our real fans, engage in real talk and encourage real consumer-generated content. We prefer “man on the street” images over staged food shots. That’s what being authentic means to our brand. And the great thing about being real is it’s also really easy. It’s much more difficult to try to be something you’re not.

Brian Maynard, Jenn-Air director of brand marketing, Whirlpool
There is a feeling by many brands that all social media needs to be in a certain language meant for active social media circles. There may be a bit of truth in this thinking. Social media language is often a bit more “casual” than other channels, more of a conversation. Even if this is true, you must stay true to your brand’s DNA; you must truly know your consumers and what language they expect from your brand. This language includes imagery. Using Jenn-Air as an example, our consumers are very engaged in cooking. They are foodies and very knowledgeable in this area. When we communicate regarding food, we must do so in a manner that is not made up; it must be authentic to a “cook,” or we will get called out. We need to feature chefs and food writers who are authentic and not just actors as many television “chefs” are these days.

Joe Barbagallo, social media manager, Volvo Cars U.S.
Authentic means being transparent. We know our audience knows us well, and so we have to be honest. We say whatever we can say publicly on social media. We give them behind-the-scenes looks at what’s going on at our company. I mean, it obviously depends on the way your brand is structured, but every brand needs to make sure it isn’t posting misleading information about itself. You’ve got to be forthright, especially if consumers are asking you a question.