Whatever the size of the business, ‘authenticity’ is always an important aspect in today’s digital age. The Journal of Consumer Psychology defines it as the consumers can feel that the brand is true to its consumers, and able to bear enterprise responsible and support consumers in being true to themselves.
This definition is entirely academic. Put it simply, brands authenticity means to be honest. For example, a restaurant put a glass wall in the kitchen to shows their layer transparency and integrity of cleaning. That’s authenticity.
Earlier, brands are like a producer of symbolic mediascapes and as essential actors in the creation of the material infrastructure. Brands, consumers’ perception, and firm’s input are like a one-way circulation. But now, something is changing. Successful brands could not live without a good authenticity aspect, especially in digital age. The main characteristic of contemporary media is that the brands and consumers have an equity right of communication. Cunningham & Craig explain that enough data is showing the Millennials are not so easily swayed by traditional push marketing techniques. Meanwhile, According to Holt’s word, “post-modern consumers value brands more if they are offered not as cultural blueprints, but rather as cultural resources.”
Inauthenticity will have a strong negative influence on a brand. For example, when United Airlines were facing the event of a passenger being dragged off. The enterprise publishes two different announcements in 24 hours. Those two different announcement is not only contradicted but also create distrust among the public.
Building brand authenticity is the reason why people want a reason to care.
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