2024 is the year of authenticity

Customers can see through the sparkle, Gen Alpha already knows what’s up, and influencers are de-influencing. How can marketers keep up with an industry built on embellishment, when consumers want real? Let’s discuss how in 2024, authenticity is no longer a buzzword, but a requirement.?

What is authentic marketing?

The dictionary defines authenticity as “the quality of being real or true”. When it comes to authenticity in marketing, of course consumers don’t want lies, but there’s a bit more to it. Forbes wrote about why brands must lead with the ‘why’ - essentially, consumers want less fluff and more substance.?

As marketers, we know storytelling is important. When you work for a brand, it’s easy to get over-familiar and assume your customers know what you do and why you do it. It turns out, that when we’re creating our marketing story, we need to adopt the mind of a three-year-old. Everything needs a clear ‘why?’. Then you follow up that answer with another, ‘why?’. Do this until you have a story so rich and engaging there are no questions or doubts left - they’re sold.?

Gen Alpha is hot on our heels

Authenticity isn’t a fad, consumer attitudes are showing a consistent shift towards emphasis on brand values vs brand value, and how a brand markets its products is a part of that. Consumers like brands that do more than just sell a product, whether it’s supporting the environment, donating to charities, or demonstrating passionate brand values, brands need to stand out. As well as showing these initiatives in your marketing, the marketing itself needs to be considered authentic, ethical, and in the interest of the customer. ?

Gen Alpha includes those born between 2010 and 2025 so some aren’t even born yet and the oldest are only 14. It may seem a bit premature to be discussing them, but this demographic is a sign of what’s to come. Gen Alpha is the first generation to have been born with social media already booming, as a result, they’re incredibly media savvy. An Ofcom study found that 77% of kids aged 12-17 were able to identify paid partnerships on social media.?

Unless those ages are your target audience, you don’t need to focus on Gen Alpha just yet, although reportedly 7% of marketers do consider this demographic already. What we can take from this though is a heads-up and clear indication that consumers are only getting smarter to traditional marketing techniques, meaning the tactics we relied on in the past won’t cut it forever.?

The consequence of influence?

In 2023 we started seeing ‘anti-influencers’ - people taking to social media to ‘de-influence’ people by sharing a true, honest review of products that didn’t live up to their social media hype. It’s the total opposite of influencing as we knew it, and it’s also risky for creators who rely on brands reaching out for sponsorship deals.?

In our December newsletter, we wrote about how influencers are now so successful, they’ no longer have the appeal of being ‘just like you’. This new angle of de-influencing brings back a huge amount of credibility to influencers in general as negative reviews haven’t really been a thing before. If influencers are prepared to put their neck on the line with brands by calling out bad products, it not only adds credibility to the products they do praise, but also could indicate a shift away from ‘viral marketing’. Once again, substance is proving to be popular.?

The evolution of influencers

As well as this shift towards more honest marketing, influencers are also branching out into in-house consulting. Influencer Intelligence’s trend report for 2024, stated that “creators are being engaged not only to produce social posts, but to create content across email marketing, newsletters, podcasts, OOH advertising, photoshoots, long-form content and a host of other mediums both on and offline.”?

Influencers know your audience, often because they are your audience. 2024 is all about showing your customers people like them enjoying your product, and influencers are a great way to do that. We completely agree with this prediction for 2024 as influencers look to diversify, and marketers look to get insights from people on the ground. It’s the perfect collab.?

In recent years we’ve seen influencers land hugely influential roles previously reserved for more traditionally qualified candidates. In 2021, influencer Molly Mae was announced as the new Creative Director for fast fashion brand Pretty Little Thing. It was a big shock in the industry as she was considered largely unqualified for such an important role. Since then, other brands have followed suit, see: Kendal Jenner, Emma Chamberlain, and Perrie Sian to name a few. Now, Influencer-Creative Directors are very much ‘a thing’.?

We’re not suggesting you appoint the winner of the latest series of Love Island All-Stars to be your creative director, but if you’re a brand that’s struggling to tap into the psyche of your customer base, working with an influencer in more of a consulting role may not be a bad idea.?

UGC is key to authenticity?

In a recent report, IPSOS discovered that employing empathy is a reliable way to drive more sales. A quick way to show empathy with your customers is to show them people just like them. It’s similar to how influencers work, but even less polished. User-generated content is content that your customers create themselves, which promotes your brand’s product. You can then utilize this content, sharing it with your audience resulting in a campaign that feels authentic and trustworthy. ?

As well as relying on your customers to share content with you, you can also go to them to create customer-first content. This post from Runna , an app-based running trainer, is just one in a series of customer stories. It’s great to see a brand take the time to get to know their customers and celebrate them. This is exactly the sort of content that customers can’t help but resonate with.?

This tweet recently got over 13,000 likes; in all forms of media, whether it’s TV or billboards, consumers want to see people who look like them. Marketing used to be all about aspiration, and it still is for some, but realism and authenticity is proving to be what customers are yearning for in 2024. ?

Sharing your customers’ content is the perfect way to mirror your audience in your content and naturally create a relationship built on authentic marketing. People naturally feel more confident doing things they see others doing, in marketing, we refer to it as social proof. Your audience is truly your biggest asset and 2024 is the year to tap into them even more.?

The value of community

In a similar vein, the value of community is something you shouldn’t overlook. McKinsey named community as the "big idea" in marketing for the 2020s, stating that having a brand community for your audience to participate in is the best way to build your brand. With at least 1 in 4 of 15-44-year-olds identifying as ‘fairly lonely’ or 'very lonely’, there’s a clear opportunity to meet your customers’ needs and improve your brand’s overall appeal.?

Community is what humanity is built on, technology has taken it away in many ways, but there are also lots of ways technology enables community - and your brand should capitalize on that. Humans thrive in communities as they provide a sense of belonging and assurance.?

Brands such as Gymshark , Sephora , and even Instant Pot have nailed the creation of a brand community. ?When you make your brand a part of people’s everyday life, in a way that doesn’t feel like a sales exercise, you’re creating marketing that doesn’t feel like marketing. Putting yourself in your customers’ minds in a way that isn’t asking them to spend their money, they likely will do anyway. As we move towards authentic marketing, one way to achieve this is definitely by exploring the less obvious tactics for getting your brand in front of consumers.?

Summary?

In a nutshell, consumers are wising up to traditional marketing tactics. You can get ahead of the turning tide by adopting marketing strategies that authentically appeal to your customer - and it all comes down to utilizing your customer more. Whether that’s encouraging and sharing UGC, tapping into the minds of influencers, or building your own organic brand space where sales aren’t the goal, there are lots of ways you can connect with your audience and demonstrate that your brand is right for them.?