The Roots of Real: Why Brand Authenticity is the In Thing


1 March 2011


An excerpt from 'How Cool Brands Stay Hot' by Joeri Van den Bergh and Mattias Behrer.


In 2007 James Gilmore and B Joseph Pine II dedicated an entire management book to the topic of authenticity. They claim the search for authenticity has become more prominent in the last years. The authors link this evolution to the rise of the experience economy.

More people than before are looking for experiences, not only in travel and entertainment but also in important life moments such as their birthday, wedding, matchmaking, dating, etc. But service providers are automating customer interaction jobs; take online banking and voice recognition automated call centres as examples. In response, on the website GetHuman.com people are posting short cuts (immediately hitting the '0' or '#' or weird keypad combinations) to go directly to a human being working at the customer service division of hundreds of companies.

Consumers are forced to interact more with machines and hence place greater value on person-to-person conversations. This is unquestionably also the case for Generation Y consumers.

In our authenticity survey for Levi's, we asked 13- to 29-year-olds which sources they would consult for advice when buying clothes. The number one response (75% of answers) was 'my best friends', and at number two 'someone of the shop personnel' (54%). Brochures, websites, review sites and magazines were chosen by less than 30%.

"In our postmodern society, we are all looking for less materialistic buying motivations."

Authenticity as a driver of brand choice

In our postmodern society, we are all looking for less materialistic buying motivations. Choosing a nostalgic or authentic product or brand enables us to reduce the feeling of guilt. Instead of 'consuming', we discover new sensations and enjoy a forgotten or seemingly lost past. Generation Y is constantly looking for new experiences or thrilling events that engage them personally and will be remembered forever.

This might give the impression that 'old' or 'nostalgic' attributes aren't appealing to them. But that's not the case.

The market is not only flooded with an abundance of goods and services, but also increasingly filled with deliberately staged live experiences. The distinctions between real and unreal or fake are blurring for youngsters. This has affected the choice criteria young consumers are using today. Their perception of how real, genuine or sincere a company or brand is, has become essential in doing business with them.

When lacking time, trust and attention, brand authenticity plays an important role in choosing between equal alternatives. Youth seems to value authenticity in a world that is characterised by mass production and marketing. The popularity of reality shows on TV, for instance, can be seen as a quest for authenticity within the traditionally fiction-oriented entertainment industry. The vintage trend in fashion and design is a reaction to mass production and a consequence of youth's need to differentiate and stand out from others.

In the postmodern market, nostalgia for the 'good old one' appeals to Gen Y's demand for simplicity. Converse All Star basketball shoes for example, haven't changed the overall design since Charles 'Chuck' Taylor created it in the 1920s. The style consistency and its rock and art heritage made the brand a popular choice for an alternative and creative group of youngsters. The key to creating brand authenticity is providing opportunities for self-expression and self-fulfilment. Consumption of products often functions as a marker of identity.

An ancient marketing strategy

Although authenticity gets a lot of attention in postmodern marketing books, there's nothing new under the sun. Back in the 14th Century Bordeaux winemakers felt severe competition from the lower-priced Bergerac terroirs along the Dordogne River in the interior east. In their first reaction, the merchants convinced the English controlling the Port of Bordeaux to impose heavy taxes on wine from the interior.

When Italian, Spanish and Portuguese wine-growing expanded and the French couldn't cope with the lower prices anymore, Bordeaux winemakers focused on the authenticity of their products. This allowed them to charge a premium price. They unified the small grands crus into a few larger holdings and associated them with neighbouring country houses or chateaux such as Pétrus, Margaux, Latour and Mouton-Rothschild. This marketing technique, positioning luxury wines as a natural product as opposed to industrial and mass-produced, is still employed today. French winemakers stress the historic style specific to the particular chateau, or terroir and create a brand aura.

Michael B Beverland examined the strategies of 26 French wineries and discovered they are outwardly downplaying their real scientific and business expertise to appear different from commercial competitors. Instead, they project their sincerity by telling a story of commitment to tradition, production excellence and passion for the daily craft.

Authenticity in advertising

In advertising, the use of authenticity is prevalent too. Although the authentic stereotypes such as Marlboro cowboys, genius artists and outlaws had been parodied a lot by the end of the 20th Century and hence lost their mythical aura, the underlying values of freedom, autonomy and individuality are still relevant in youth marketing today.

In an extensive study 1,000 print and television advertisements for trainer and jeans brands directed at 18- to 25-year-olds between 1999 and 2005, were analysed. Only 15% of the ads had no link with authenticity at all. The jeans sample was especially striking. Escape, challenge and relaxation from formal rules were depicted in scenes straight from the desert, a rooftop, the edge of town, the street or the everyday.

"Although authenticity gets a lot of attention in postmodern marketing books, there's nothing new under the sun."

Quite often the ads ended with an open road representing a path of authentic self-discovery. Models were travelling across wide landscapes on dirty motorcycles or in worn and dusty vintage cars. Designer jeans were modelled on the street, not a catwalk, and showed people engaged in ordinary, mundane acts (e.g. drinking coffee, eating yoghurt). Interior locations in the ad scenes were mostly downmarket, dirty places. Long-haired, bohemian characters frequently appeared in music studios or were involved in creative arts.

Creative people are often regarded as being authentic because they are authors of their properly created art.

The trainer advertisements often related to the hip-hop street culture including creative acts such as break-dancing, graffiti and djing. Adidas ads were referring to nostalgic footage of Muhammad Ali, combining the artistry of Reebok with the athleticism and achievement appeals that Nike has been claiming consistently throughout the years.

Mattias Behrer is the Senior Vice President, General Manager of MTV North Europe & MTV International Property Marketing.
Joeri Van den Bergh is the co-founder of InSites Consulting, a global 'new generation' research agency with offices in Belgium, the UK, France, Switzerland, and the Netherlands.