Authentic Brands

As a result of a shifting socio-political landscape, consumers are beginning to flock to brands who are transparent, unwavering in their personality, and advocate for diversity and expression. That’s how they are intent on living their lives, and they want to buy products and services from companies who get it. Brands who are brave enough to do this will flourish as their customers will become more loyal.

Transparency

Young people are more willing than ever to share their stories with the online world. Doing so makes them feel authentic, unique, and as though they have nothing to hide. Somewhat contradictory, however, is the tendency for posts and pictures to be skewed towards our best self. In any case, social media users and people in general are finding individuality, openness, and acceptance increasingly important.

Your brand can become more transparent in a number of ways. For example, you might choose to break down your product pricing on your website to expose exactly why it is necessary that you charge that price for your products. Another way to become a more transparent brand is to share stories about yourself that give consumers a peek behind the curtain. It can be incredibly valuable to do things such as show off your staff and tell their story as humans – not just employees – with families and interests. You can also choose to be honest about your shortcomings, and involve consumers in the narrative on how you plan to fix it. Transparent companies are trusted by consumers because they share context and detail without having to be asked for it.

Individuality

With the introduction of the internet came the ability for people to find their niche interests. Along came social media, which led to the ability for people to discover like minds. There are still trends and there always will be, but conformity is not the norm as it has been in the past. People feel more accepted, and are embracing what makes them different, whether that be their freckles they hated five years ago, or their obsession with vintage comics which was seen as nerdy just a short time ago.

Little resonates with today’s consumers more than an unwavering personality. Brands are encouraged to take one from the book of the millennials – to dig deep and find out who they truly are. When you determine what really matters to you and why, you can stop perpetuating a persona of who you think your customers will like. This will help you to attract customers who are a true fit. In turn, your relationship with them will be stronger and they are more likely to become loyal to your brand and advocate for it.

Stability

People like people who they can trust and rely on, not flakey people who change their mind on a whim. Popular culture has seen a denouncement of what is fake (fake news, misinformation), and an increase in exposure of scandals and wrongdoings. To clarify – in today’s world it’s okay to be into plastic surgery and photoshopping, but it’s not desirable to be fake in your friendships or personality. Not much has changed in this arena; Although people have a wider number of friends in general, they still prefer to have relationships with those who will be there for them.

In a world where everything changes as the speed of light, people are craving stability. Brands such as Jeep – known as the choice of free-spirits and adventurers – have become the shining example of why stability works. They know their brand, and they disseminate content, products, and marketing that prove it. As a result of this, the Jeep brand has built a community around their product, and now experience an incredibly loyal (verging on cult-like) following.