Fireside Chat: #FMC24 Speaker, Dr. Zakiya Renae | Chasing Authenticity In A World Of Filters
Growth happens in collaboration! We asked our speakers to submit their insights and share their genius before the Flourish Media Conference on February 16-17, 2024 in Miami, FL. Get a taste of what Dr.Zakiya Renae is all about, read her blog below!
It’s a close friend's birthday, and you’re scrambling to find the perfect gift–one that speaks to their personality or character but something that also speaks to the foundational principles of the relationship that you all have built. The gifting of goods, products, or services says so much. So you rack your brain scrupulously trying to find that thing that will literally speak for you–finally, you find it! After searching the web and countless sites, you find the perfect gift and without hesitation, click, add to cart, check out, enter payment, submit, process, order confirmed! Now you can breathe, although anxiously awaiting its arrival. Two days later, it's shipped, then finally, it's out for delivery. Knock-knock! A package is left outside of your door, you run to grab it and immediately begin opening it. Anxiously unwrapping the gift that you couldn’t wait to get your hands on and as that last piece of tissue paper is tossed away, you are in utter shock–even more so, overcome with severe disappointment as the product that arrived is nothing like the images or descriptions advertised on the website.
What are your immediate thoughts about that brand or business that you ordered from? False advertisement? Scammer? They won’t be getting any more money from me! This must be a joke! Can I get a refund? Where do I go to leave a review? Let’s just say, that anything that comes to mind from this scenario is bad for said business!
Brand Authenticity–What is it?
Over the years, brand authenticity has taken many definitive shapes:
M. B. Beverland (2009)--Authenticity is defined subjectively by the consumer, as they decide what is real, genuine and authentic based on their point of view. A brand is considered authentic if it “fits into the individual's desired truth.”
M. B. Beverland (2010)--Prevalent cultural influences lead to the underpinning mechanisms in perceived authenticity objects, brands and experiences. These mechanisms are practicality, participation and morality.
Newman and Dhar (2014)--Authenticity encapsulates what is genuine, real and true.
Morhart et al. (2015)--The extent to which consumers perceive a brand to be faithful and true toward itself and its consumers and to support consumers being true themselves.
Mazutis and Slawinski (2015)--Two core dimensions of authenticity are Distinctiveness and Social Connectedness.
Nunes et al. (2021)--Consumer assessment determined by six dimensions: Accuracy, Connectedness, Integrity, Legitimacy, Originality, and Proficiency. The role of the dimension adapts accordingly to consumer context.
C. L. Campagna (2023)--A genuine brand with a unique style that cares about being open and honest with consumers and will survive times and trends.
Brand authenticity is many things, but specifically, what research has unveiled is four recurring themes:
~Self-Authentication: Empowerment; Brand confidence.
~Having A Unique Identity: Originality; Novel quality; Independently creative.
~Genuineness: Honest; Transparent.
~Longevity: Surviving times and trends.(Campagna et al. 2023)
A brand must align with, have a history of and currently practice all of the above to meet the criteria for brand authenticity; and in the the 21st Century where filters, glitz and glam, and false personas are dominating the realm of business marketing, we are finding that more and more brands are to say the least, inauthentic. According to a report published October 12th 2023 by CNBC, Americans lost hundreds of millions of dollars in website scams ranging from romance scams to fake merchants (Americans are being scammed out of billions on social media—look for these 7 red flags ) –of the most common are online shopping scams, whether it be a person not receiving the product at all or a significantly cheaper, modified version of the product advertised. So, why am I sharing this?
Being a woman of color, a business owner, an entrepreneur, a woman of principle, a woman of standards, it is important that we truly understand our space in the world of business. Statistically, a part of the fastest growing economic sector in America, as women of color continue to open businesses and create brands at a higher rate than any other group, focusing on the bottom line isn’t what will yield us success, it’s about market impact–how we carry ourselves in our select market is a large contributing factor to our success.
Brand authenticity is one of the single most influential factors. It’s a cornucopia of transparency that takes place between the brand and the consumer–the brand wanting repeat customers, positive reviews and leaning into opportunities to scale-up. On the other hand, the consumer wants a quality product or service, acknowledgement and appreciation and consistency. It’s a two-way exchange! So, how do we get there?
The caveat of brand authenticity is intentionally meeting consumer expectations. Your goal as the business owner or entrepreneur isn’t the compensation you receive, it's the consumer feedback–Did your product or service meet said needs of the customer? Is your product or service an honest representation of your brand's mission and/or values? As the owner, do you follow the foundational principles upon which you are promoting your brand? Brand authenticity is your brand's way of communicating–the product and/or service is doing all of the talking, so ask yourself "What is my product or service saying?” Essentially, what high brand authenticity creates is higher consumer engagement. It’s a relatively well-known fact in the business community that it is cheaper and easier to retain a current customer than it is to attract a new one–and this in itself should be all the validation you need to prioritize brand authenticity in your business model!
Consider these statistics as you build and grow your brand:
~The chance of converting an existing customer to a repeat customer is 60%-70% as opposed to 5%-20% with a new customer. (Council Post: New Vs. Repeat Customers: Where Should You Focus Your Marketing? )
~A recent study concluded that 82% of customers prefer to purchase from brands that stand for a greater purpose and/or cause. (Razorfish Study Finds 82% of Consumers Make Purchase Decisions with Purpose in Mind, Yet Brands Struggle to Put Purpose into Practice .)
~According to Salesforce Research, it was reported that 53% of customers feel an emotional connection to the brands they patronize the most. (https://www.salesforce.com/content/dam/web/it_it/www/pdf/connected-customer-report-2020.pdf)
~87% of customers actively avoid buying from brands they don’t trust. (SMS Messaging, Voice, Video & Verification APIs | Sinch )
~Per a new Sitecore Report, 70% of Americans crave deeper, more personal connections with brands and 86% indicated that empathy is a powerful tool in consumer-brand relationships. (New Sitecore Report Shows Brands Must Shift from Transactional to Transparent if They Want to Rebuild Customer Loyalty )
With the flow and ebb of our economy and its precarious unpredictability–people want to spend their money where they feel both confident and secure. The customers are tired of getting bamboozled! So, here’s a few tips as you full-proof your brands authenticity:
1. Stand For Something–Don’t wander the market aimlessly; establish your WHY, stand proud of your purpose and honor the mission that your brand is built on and articulates.
2. Do NOT Oversell Yourself–I can’t state this enough, if you are NOT capable, NOT qualified, or ILL equipped to fulfill a product order or perform a service, DON’T PROMOTE OR ADVERTISE SAID ABILITIES! This is a big NO NO! Stay in your area of expertise and leave the other stuff to the other guys [or gals].
3. Treat Your Customers How You Expect To Be Treated When You’re The Customer–Don’t create situations that require damage control. Empathy is required for engagement and engagement is a gateway to consumer loyalty.
So, if you remember how we opened up with our little scenario, where the purchased product was nothing like advertised–don’t be that brand selling both dreams and chaos. Change the narrative. Think of your product or service as a love language between yourself and your consumer. In that language, let your brand speak joy, let your brand speak satisfaction, let your brand speak transparency, let your brand speak dependability, let your brand speak authenticity.
As always, share love, share light, and aspire to not only have presence, but to truly make an impact!
Founder of Boutique Business Solutions
Business Consultant, Leadership Development Strategist & Author
References (Not listed in-text)
Campagna, C. L., Donthu, N., & Yoo, B. (2023). Brand authenticity: literature review, comprehensive definition, and an amalgamated scale. Journal of Marketing Theory and Practice, 31(2), 129-145.
Södergren, J. (2021). Brand authenticity: 25 Years of research. International Journal of Consumer Studies, 45(4), 645-663.
