Features and tRends

(October 2009)

Authenticity Matters
Key Steps to Ensuring Your Brand Message is Genuine
By Steven Kleber

The transparency shift in marketing no longer affords companies the ability to hide behind closed doors and offer their products and messages without scrutiny. The ever-growing world of social media networks, web media and a controversy-hungry population (that has a lot to say) is the catalyst for a new authenticity quotient that must be delivered with every message and every product. Consumers want to know who they are buying from, what type of company they are dealing with, what the company stands for…and whatever those connections live up to the intimate promises they make. As such, audiences stand ready to “call you out” when the answers to those questions don’t meet the marketing moral standards that they are setting.

This new, open and transparent world is not as scary as it may seem. Actually, it’s rather refreshing. By starting an open and honest dialogue with customers, you can provide a better personality for your brand, share your company’s policies on best practices and still reserve some of the details for the boardroom. This is not a “tell all” environment, but instead, a “tell enough” atmosphere.

Once a dialogue of openness is established, it initiates a series of opportunities and benefits for your company including:

  • Direct feedback from your customers--allowing you to know what you are doing right in their eyes and what they believe needs to change
  • Development of loyal customers who act as brand ambassadors through blogs, online reviews, word-of-mouth and other venues
  • Potential customers who are clear on what it takes for you to earn their business

Can you really ask for anything more?

So then, what does an authentic company look like? How can you ensure that you are taking the necessary steps to grow an open dialogue with your customers? According to authenticbranding.com, truly “authentic” companies possess certain qualities. Authentic brands:

  • Consistently deliver what they say they will
  • Practice policies that match the brand’s messages
  • Support activities through promotions, donations or sponsorships that reflect the brand’s identity and appeal to customers’ values
  • Create business alliances that extend the brand value by fulfilling the “related” needs of its customers
  • Cultivate loyal customers and employees who willingly share their experiences and stories

Being open and honest about your company’s mission while considering your customer’s needs is the basis of authenticity. Take for example a recent announcement from beverage giant Coca-Cola. According to a story in BrandWeek, Coke announced it would place calorie information on the front of nearly all of its products' packaging. Coke is not hiding the fact that some of its products carry calories in a market that doesn’t publicize anything above the proverbial 100 calorie portion. Coke is respecting its product and consumers by displaying the simple facts.

Barriers dissolve
The growth of social media has erased barriers. Instead of being committed to one-way communication, brands must now be involved where the conversation is taking place. Twitter, Facebook and the blogosphere are today’s water cooler for conversations on current news, likes and dislikes and are some of the vital venues designed for sharing everyday experiences. Having a presence in these online arenas greatly amplifies authenticity. Your brand can be open with customers about company news, procedures and behind the scenes stories. By sharing small details about your company, you are personalizing a brand…making it more accessible to current and potential customers.

Customers are more than willing to participate in product feedback – and more often than not – become invested in the specific product they are helping to improve. At that point, consumers feel as though they are a part of something and will become brand evangelists.Cultivating brand advocacy is one of the healthiest marketing tactics a company can accomplish. These evangelists will represent your brand with one of the most powerful forms of marketing – word of mouth.

Noticing this shift in communication, Intelligent Enterprise reports many brands have started hosting the discussions on their Web site and blog pages to have first hand product development research. This is invaluable information gathered on a grand scale that is only available due to changes in Internet-based communications patterns. Progressive companies are now strategically including this type of online social research into their annual plans. Direct knowledge is gained from the people who buy products and how they use them, in the form of a continuous feedback loop. Within a short time span, the engaged consumer community experiences product improvement that they actually helped to author. 

Back to a simpler time
Behind all the technology and widgets is a natural desire to feel closer to the companies in which we invest our personal resources. This concept mirrors the days when customers frequented the same barber shop or the same general store for no other reason than they had been patrons of that store their whole lives: customer loyalty, company integrity, repeat customers.

Want to see where your company ranks in consumer hearts and minds?
To receive greater input from your customers, we begin by listening and finding out where they are communicating about your product or service. Social sites such as Twitter and Facebook, as well as blogs and forums (iVillage.com, PlumbingZone.com, etc) provide a baseline which sets the stage for our engagement process.

Identifying your customers communities and activating them will help determine exactly how these communities will best integrate your products into their lives – including suggestions for better packaging, ease of installation, etc. You may be surprised at how much information this audience will supply. Take these insights, consider the outcomes suggested and implement appropriate changes. As a result, you will have an improved product that is better connected with your consumers. This vital integration creates brand evangelists and leads your company to produce a better, and possibly smarter, product that will in turn lead to higher sales.

Take the time to reflect. Do you really have open dialogue with your customers? How do you deliver upon your brand promises? Do your marketing strategies reflect your brand mission? Do you have a presence in the arenas your customers utilize to gain information?

If you would like to further discuss what makes an authentic brand or want a third party review of your brand’s mission and marketing strategies, contact me at sk@kleberandassociates.com or 770.518.1000.

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