The Importance of Authenticity in Entrepreneurial Marketing

A brand that aligns with a consumer’s core values is more likely to retain that consumer long-term. Brand authenticity can aid this alignment by allowing brands to be transparent enough to resonate with their consumers.  For this reason, your brand messaging, story, and values all play a large role in authentic entrepreneurial marketing.

Moreover, authenticity can mean many things in marketing but it especially refers to transparency and delivering the promise your brand makes to its consumers. Consumers are likely to spend over 57% more when they feel they can trust and connect with a brand. Furthermore, 76% of consumers will prefer an authentic brand to its competitor. Therefore, marketing that follows the following authentic practices will be building strong brand loyalty and awareness.

Build Trust Through Authenticity 

Attaining trust from consumers is one of the most significant benefits of authentic entrepreneurial marketing. Dishonest messaging can be very damaging to a brand’s reputation as consumers are now more skeptical than ever before. Consequently, marketing that misleads consumers can lead to negative online reviews that spread like a wildfire. Authentic marketing helps you avoid this by establishing credibility, and building a strong relationship with your consumers. 

For instance, a small business that is locally sourced should be transparent about its sourcing. Businesses can do this by sharing photos and stories of their artisans and farmers to explain why locally sourced businesses should be supported. Brands that are open about their locally sourced products are rewarded by gaining a strong local following that pushes for the same values. 

Beerenberg is a great example of a locally sourced product that openly informs consumers of their values that can be shared by all Australian families. A brand can use marketing such as this as it relates itself to a universal need, and that is the need for providing the best for your family. What is more authentic than allowing your consumers to peer into your private life?

Being Authentic Differentiates Your Brand

Differentiating your brand from the competition can be challenging in a crowded marketplace. However, a brand that is authentic enough can create a unique identity which sets them apart from the rest of the market. The values you share with consumers can set you apart from the competitor when consumers form an association between their beliefs and your brand.

L’oreal is another brand that has showed its authenticity by differentiating its company values from that of the competitors. The brand ran an ad campaign called “This Is An Ad For Men” that focused on gender inequality. Cosmetic brands usually target female audiences as they are the revenue makers of the industry. However, the brand showed its authenticity by allowing their company values to dictate their marketing rather than revenue alone.

Being Authentic Differentiates Your Brand

The most significant benefit of authentic entrepreneurial marketing is that it helps obtain loyal customers.  90% of consumers mentioned authenticity when asked about their requirements from brands. Therefore, your brand needs to have a consistent messaging to ensure your consumers can continue to connect with your brand. Inconsistent messaging can unintentionally damage a brand’s reputation as it confuses your consumer base.

Authenticity can be as simple as keeping your brand logo the same as consumers may feel connected to it. Gap changed their logo in 2010 from a recognized and loved logo to one that may have appeared better but failed to impress their loyal customers. The logo caused an outrage from customers and forced the company to return the old logo. Unnecessary rebranding should be avoided as it can seem unauthentic to customers if the brand doesn’t need it, or is doing it for reasons other than satisfy their current market.

Additionally, consistent messaging should apply to all platforms and out-reach conducted by brands. A brand’s messaging should be consistent on social media posts, their webpage, and even their brand collaborations. Undoubtedly, brands can suffer from the wrong collaboration as consumers can associate negative aspects of the co-branding with the brand.

Authentic Marketing Creates an Emotional Connection

Consumers buy from people not brands and this why authentic marketing creates a strong emotional response from your audience. Social media is a great way to analyse how your consumers are engaging with your marketing. The connection between consumers and brands is built through experiences, shared values and beliefs. As such, large brands often have personal messages under social media posts of consumers sharing experiences they associate with the brand.

For example, sustainable fashion brands build connections with consumers that value sustainability and ethical practices. Building brand values around the current values of society at large is beneficial as it helps ease marketing your products or services. Similarly, sharing your mission and story can act as authentic marketing by helping you show customers that you aren’t just selling a product. Thus, authenticity in marketing creates an emotional response that makes consumers feel like they are a part of something bigger.

Authenticity Ensures Long-Term Success

Lastly, authenticity helps build a business that is sustainable long-term and can last past any fad. By building brands using authentic entrepreneurial marketing you create a stable foundation for a loyal customer base. Additionally, this practice creates a steady stream of revenue, positive reviews, and referrals.

Inevitably, authentic entrepreneurial marketing has become crucial in the modern age with the change in requirements from consumers. Brands that are transparent and consistent create trust, brand loyalty, and brand awareness. Furthermore, consumers are more likely to feel an emotional attachment to brands that remain authentic through the changing tides and remain life-long consumers. This strong connection between consumers and authentic brands is why authentic entrepreneurial marketing is important.