3 Ways to Create Brand Authenticity.
Authenticity is an innate human trait we seek in every facet of our lives, the judgement of character that we intuitively base our relationships upon. A successful brand identity is no different - in a world of hyper-consumption and saturation, connecting through human experience, storytelling, and emotional vulnerability has become more important than ever. Below are three key insights demonstrating how authenticity can lend a brand customer loyalty and trust.
Own Your Narrative.
Before a narrative, there must always be context: an understanding of the heritage, core values, and styles that inform an identity. Through a medium that celebrates individuality and creativity, design enables the unique visualisation of what differentiates a brand from their competition. Creating your identity is integral to strengthening the bond with current and potential clients, as it provides a foundational storyline for building trust, and a narrative blueprint applicable solely to your own brand and your brand's authenticity.
If you have not yet set up your brand across multiple social media platforms, a highly effective way of reinforcing your brand narrative and creating brand authenticity is developing a digital presence. Your social media footprint determines your visibility and presence both regionally and globally, dramatically impacting the way you are viewed in the public eye. Platforms bolster audience engagement through posting, liking, commenting and sharing content, creating a visual forecast that also enables you to measure the strength of your brand narrative.
Although a brand’s online presence is most likely to be the first consumer touchpoint during an epidemic, your offline presence is equally crucial to crafting a compelling and cohesive brand identity, and ensures brand consistency. Evoking a brand story and emotional connection ultimately lies in consumer interactions with your brand’s collaterals and retail experiences.
Take for example Hong Kong’s first coffee & laundry concept, CLEAN. A brand built around the idea of sustainability, CLEAN demonstrates their brand philosophy by creating a sustainable business cycle with business cards made from recycled coffee cups. From the material textures of paper and print, to curated smells and sounds, tangibility and haptic touch provide innumerable ways to extend your brand awareness offline, and help them stand out as an authentic brand.
Be Progressive.
“Rather than pursue methods of the past, we have the chance to be as stripped down, transparent, and true to our experiences as possible. ”
A telling sign of a modern branding designer is in their ability to realise the monumental significance of authentic storytelling. This is a stark contrast to the convoluted branding methods of mega corporations and the advertising industry, where innovation and connection are limited by hierarchical barriers and a prioritisation of ‘operational efficiencies’. Lots of companies focus on getting as much work done as possible, but this brings adverse effects on delivering quality and professionalism.
Rather than pursue methods of the past, we have the chance to be as stripped down, transparent, and true to our experiences as possible, rebuilding a community around a story that inspires connection and trust – building brand authenticity by staying true to the experience.
Be Transparent.
Remember, we are only human - everyone makes mistakes. Being clear and straight-forward is always the best policy to follow when you are building relationships – and is perhaps the most obvious protocol for creating an authentic brand. Your customers are smart and will see when you are ducking responsibility or blaming problems on others.
Whether you are lacking in resources, research, or awareness, a lack of transparency is the quickest, most sure-fire way to lose a client’s trust. Properly engaging in customer care demonstrates your prioritisation and respect of the client’s time and money, one that enables a better understanding of your own workflow, and gives the client the genuine explanation that they deserve.
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