An uncle 81% of consumers say that trust is a major deciding factor in purchasing.

As the founder of Creative Noggin, an award-winning marketing agency, this statistic doesn't surprise me.

As a human being living in the age of misinformation, I'm even less surprised.

Consumer confidence is at an all-time low.

While the early days of the Internet were promising, misinformation has spread rampantly in recent years. We are bombarded with so much content every day that we don't know what to believe anymore. Our trust in the media has waned dramatically, everything has become politicized and we are less trusted in general.

We are at a pivotal point as a society. People are the desire for something realwhich means being authentic and trustworthy is more important than ever for brands.

Shiny exteriors just don't matter as much as they once did – there's value-focused content featuring real people. of increasing user-generated content (UGC) is proof of this.

What does this new era of authentic branding entail and how can you use it for your business?

Shifting to more transparent branding

Over the past two decades, I've seen a shift in the marketing landscape, largely due to social media.

When social media first entered the mainstream, companies often saw it as an opportunity for “free marketing.” It took a while for them to learn that social media isn't an online brochure – it's an opportunity to connect, engage, listen and learn from their customers.

Today, social media marketing is finally becoming less brand-centric and more people-centric. That's good 52% of consumers say they are exhausted by the self-promotional content of social media.

Brands like Patagonia and REI have done a particularly good job of learning how to create engaging, people-centric content. It's part of the reason why they are ranked among the top brands in the Authenticity Index 500 of the world's most authentic brands, holding the #1 and #8 positions respectively!

Use social media to get to know the people who are engaging with your brand. While you're at it, don't be afraid to let people meet the people behind your brand. After all, 70% of consumers feel more connected to brands Whose CEOs are active on social media.

Three pitfalls to avoid

While many brands have come around to the idea of ​​more authentic marketing, they fall prey to several pitfalls in their efforts to do so.

Here are three of the most common mistakes.

1. Not knowing your audience and trying to be everything to everyone.

In theory, appealing to a wider audience is great. In practice, it can come across as inauthentic and negatively impact a brand.

Receive the Light of Bud. In 2023, they teamed up with Dylan Mulvaney, a trans woman, behind her popular TikTok series Days of Girlhood. While I'm sure their efforts to be more inclusive came from a good place, they failed miserably. In one efforts to increase market share and attracted young drinkers, they alienated their core customers, leading to boycott threats and a barrage of hateful comments on social media.

As a business, it's important to know who your core customers are, what's important to them, and why they value and align with your brand. If you want to evolve your brand and attract new markets, stay true to your values ​​and never take on attributes that don't fit your brand just to attract new audiences.

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2. Theatrics on offense in an attempt to be edgy or funny

Sometimes, trying to be connected and inject humor in marketing efforts it doesn't come out. The famous “Bumble fumble” is a prime example.

In early May 2024, Bumble, a dating app focused on women, ran an ad campaign with billboards proclaiming: “You know pledging celibacy isn't the answer.” This attempt to brush aside the difficulties of dating women came off as tone-deaf and downright offensive. The company later pulled the ads and issued a public apology.

The lesson: while it's fun to be creative, you also have to be careful!

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3. Lack of sensitivity to the current situation

Another big mistake I see brands make is not reading the room.

Kendall Jenner's infamy Pepsi ad met with extraordinary reactions. Pepsi was accused of appropriating a protest about police brutality and trivializing the real emotions and dangers faced by those on the front lines of the Black Lives Matter movement, all in an effort to sell soda. Like Bumble, Pepsi apologized and stopped the ad.

My advice: if you want to go there, treat social justice issues with care and compassion.

How to create an authentic brand

Creating an authentic brand requires deep discovery. This is exactly what OWN the company uses a methodology we call Real Branding™.

Rather than jumping into creative execution right away, we research to understand what is fundamentally real about a company and its position within its industry. We call it branding from the inside out. Creating a brand simply based on your perception of what the customer wants is a mistake. Your brand should truly reflect your company's personality and what customers experience when they engage with it. This minimizes the chance that they will face a disconnect during the customer journey. Bait and switch is never a sound philosophy in marketing.

This methodology has led to outstanding client results, including a rebranding for Pre-K 4 SA, an early childhood initiative for the city of San Antonio, Texas. After rebranding and expanding our marketing efforts, the initiative's voter approval rating increased from 51% to 73%.

It has been proven time and time again that creating a truly authentic brand starts with doing your homework!

Embracing authenticity in this new era of branding isn't just good for optics; it's good for your bottom line. It is much more expensive, everywhere from five to 25 times moreto attract a new customer than to keep a current one happy. There is so much value – financial and social – that can come from being authentic throughout the customer journey.

So do your research, stand for something, show the world the people behind the brand and don't be afraid to inject personality into your marketing (within reason). After all, authenticity is more than a trend – it's the future of successful branding!