Building authentic brands is a task that is core to TrioG Communication.
Brand authenticity is a foundational building block for any strong brand. For decades, brands have embraced genuineness and integrity. However, with the current digital age, the vanity metrics are valued more than authenticity. Brands that give more esteem to the vanity metrics ultimately water down brand authenticity.
What then is brand authenticity?
One way to answer this question is to take your brand/ business as a person.
What makes a person authentic?
When their personality and actions are in coherence with their inmost values and principles then you are authentic. This is so with a brand/business/company. There is a core purpose for every business/brand/company, a clear-cut reason for existence beyond profits. The core purpose of a brand is a fundamental compass that directs the brand. Being faithful to its purpose is what makes a brand authentic.
Is it profitable to build authentic brands?
As much as it is sometimes very difficult to see the correlation between brand development and the financial performance of a business. Building an authentic brand has both tangible and intangible benefits.
- With an authentic brand, brand equity is possible.
Your brand is your company’s most valuable asset. Investing in your brand is one way to ensure growth and longevity of your business. (read more here ).
Brand equity that is generated from an authentic brand pays off by increasing market share, reducing advertising costs, and allowing premium pricing.
- Solidify brand authority.
Authentic brands realize that they are not everyone’s cup of tea so they do not try to be something for everyone. They are well aware of their consumer needs and strive to meet and exceed them.
Their brand positioning and differentiation is clear and confident. their natural authority enables them to become industry leaders.
- Create brand differentiation.
It is every brand’s goal to differentiate itself from the pack. Authentic brands are deeply in touch with their why they do what they do, and for this reason, they stand out. Even if they are offering the same service or products, there is a distinct brand print that is unique to them.
- Deliver on the brand promise.
A brand is essentially a promise. A promise that should never be broken. However, with this is not the case for many brands. Over promising and under delivering is slowly becoming the norm.
We have seen this especially with some of the coffee shops we have been to where for the first time, we are served well, customer experience is exceptional only for the services and coffee to take a drastic nose dive with the second and third visit. The familiarity breeds a lax to keep the promise. Some businesses also go through this especially when they establish a loyal clientele base. In the end, they miss out on cultivating trust and loyalty
- Strengthen customer trust and loyalty.
Authentic brands keep their promise hence cultivating something that is becoming rare in the brand-customer relationship: trust and loyalty. Long term customer relationships are at the heart of every successful brand.
… To be continued.
TrioG Communication 