Here is how you build brand authenticity

“Brands are entering a brave new era, where trust is make or break for consumers” - Annouchka Behrmann, Edelman Trust Barometer Special Report: Brand Trust in 2020

According to the latest research, authenticity is becoming increasingly important to ensure businesses success. This has been a growing trend, but 2021 seems to be the year in which building brand authenticity could really have a significant impact in companies’ revenue, popularity and brand reputation. “The pandemic changed consumer expectations of corporate behaviour and almost every major corporation has rushed to demonstrate their commitment to the community”, explains Ben Evetts, PR expert.

With almost 90% of consumers considering authenticity as a key factor when choosing a brand (Stackla, 2019), and almost 70% saying that transparency is an attractive brand quality (Accenture Strategy, 2018), the desire for trustful, genuine brands has been increasingly taking over.

So how do you build (and show) brand authenticity in 2021?

1. Align brand values and actions

Just saying “we are green” or “we care about local communities” won’t be enough in 2021. Brands need to get out there and take action, putting their effort, budget and focus on the values they want to have connected to their brand.

Some ideas to put this in practice:

· Create a brand manifesto -and respect it!

· Publish Social media content that aligns with your core values – disclose data about how much your brand recycles, how much it invests in social or environmental issues, etc. (Psss -if you need help with your data visualization, contact me – I looove creating engaging infographics for my customers).

2. Be consistent with your branding and messaging

In a research conducted by Lucidpress, consistency was found to be key for a brand to create a relationship of trust with customers and increase revenue by 33%. If you often change your visual communication style, your tone, your messages, and values, this creates confusion and therefore, distrust. Be clear with your copy and stick to either the same fonts, colors or style in your communication, to provide a unified brand image and a consistent experience of your brand across channels.

Some ideas to put this in practice:

· Develop brand guidelines and stick to them, so all content is created with consistent guidelines

· Communicate to your team the key messages, tone and visual elements your brand should include

· Seek the help of professionals to develop a brand image that is unique to you, and that is recognizable across digital and analogic platforms

3. Show what’s up behind the scenes

Allow your brand to peek behind the curtain and discover how your products are made, how a day working in your company looks like or social activities your team enjoys. NOTE: Make this type of content with your company values in mind – “casual behind the scenes” posts work best when they have a context. Choose what is unique or interesting about your corporate culture, your team or the processes of manufacturing for your products.

Some ideas to put this in practice:

· Brainstorm with your team what kind of content you could publish that shows specific values or brand characteristics

· Experiment with formats: Use video, pictures or even blog posts depending on what you want to communicate

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Do you need help building an authentic brand and communicating your core values to your audience? Let’s have a chat! Contact me at hello.aneley@gmail.com – I’ll be happy to help you clarify your goals, produce content that engages and growing your brand.

Sources:

- https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbesagencycouncil/2021/01/07/six-influencer-marketing-trends-to-watch-in-2021/?sh=644cf21b7a6a

- oberlo.com

- https://www.digitalinformationworld.com/2021/01/twitters-2020-brand-campaign-analysis.html

- Merkle’s Consumer Experience Sentiment Report