Brand authenticity is defined by the perception of the customers of whether the brand is authentic in its products, values, identity, and purpose. Authenticity is a key element in building a successful brand strategy.

Brands cannot keep anything from their customers in the social media era. Your target audiences can obtain all the information they require about your company via media, the internet, and other customers.

Companies can no longer simply "talk the talk". It would be foolish to say that you are committed to client service if you rarely respond to their messages on social media platforms.

Being genuine in business involves more than just being honest. You'll also need to maintain a certain level of integrity, particularly online. Transparency on social media is critical since today's consumers understand that firms are attempting to sell a product or service.

In the Twitter #RealTalk study, eighty percent of participants said they don't mind being promoted on social media as long as the content is entertaining, helpful, educational, or moves me in some way.


What exactly makes a brand authentic?


Credibility, authenticity, and transparency are important aspects of your brand image. When you present your brand as authentic, you can gain trust and deepen relationships with your intended customer base.

But what defines authenticity in a brand?

We have compiled a list of the most important components of brand authenticity below.

 

What are the elements of brand authenticity?

 

Adaptability is essential as times change. Thus, genuine brands must develop the ability to adjust to changing circumstances without compromising their core values.


An open, honest communication approach enables brands to establish genuine human relationships. This entails admitting faults and never providing false or deceptive information.

 

Authentic brands provide their customers with a view into the business's true life. This might be done by sharing anecdotes from staff, founders, and consumers.


Authenticity is always keeping your promises, whether it's about the quality of the product, customer service, or brand messaging.

 

Brands that wish to connect with their customers must genuinely care about their wants and experiences. To put it briefly, they value long-term connections more than quick profits.


Using someone else's words verbatim is a big red flag. Being authentic entails creating a strong unique identity.

 

Trust and loyalty are fostered by brands that are transparent about everything, including the sourcing of materials, production methods, and business procedures.

Clear values that influence your brand's activities, decisions, and messages are a critical component of brand authenticity.

 

How to Establish Brand Authenticity?


No one can deny the fact that businesses benefit from real branding. The major concern is how to establish brand authenticity for any business or company. We've put together a step-by-step guide to help you out.


Define your basic values

What features do all legitimate brands have in common? They all have a defined set of values and objectives.That is the first step towards creating an authentic brand. You should start by determining the principles that will govern your future activities, decisions, products, and customer interactions. In general, these values should be clear, unambiguous, and palpable.


Learn about your target audience

At first, authentic brands understand who their customer is. So, the next step is to undertake extensive customer research. You should have a thorough grasp of your target audience's needs, preferences, behaviors, and issues.

Once you've gathered this data, you should create complete customer personas. These will help you create content and messaging that resonate with your target audience. This will help in providing a more genuine and personalized experience to your customers.

Be unique


Creating a distinctive and memorable brand identity is one of the most effective methods.

 

What values do you uphold? Who are you? How do you communicate with your clientele? What is the essence of your brand personality?


Create a consistent visual identity based on the responses to these questions. This includes creating a distinct logo, color palette, typography, and design.
Don't forget to set a brand tone of voice. This should reflect your ideals and personality, as well as appeal to your target audience.


Documenting all of this in a precise style guide guarantees that every aspect of the business is consistent with your own brand identity.

 

Be consistent


Consistent messaging is an important component in developing an honest, trustworthy brand. As a result, you must create a communication/messaging strategy to highlight your brand's values and purpose invariably. The goal is to deliver the same message across all touch points.


A solid content strategy can help you accomplish this. It should tell your brand's story by providing staff and consumer stories. Remember that, while your content ought to possess a consistent style and voice, don't be hesitant to try your hand with new formats and mediums.

 

Transparency matters


Your content and communication strategy should be based on the enduring principle that honesty is the best policy.


Let's begin with communication. Being clear and honest while speaking with audiences is an example of authenticity. This entails being transparent about setbacks, adjustments, difficulties, and accomplishments. When it comes to establishing brand credibility, there is no place for false messaging or omitting information.


Your content provides an inside look into your company's workflow, procedures, and daily activities. You develop trust with your consumers by providing them with a realistic view of how your organization operates and the employee experience.