Can you fake authenticity?

Authenticity has become somewhat of a "buzzword" over the past few years, and many marketers have been scrambling to boast how authentic they are in their marketing copy. 

And probably for good reason, as recent data indicates that 85% of shoppers consider authenticity an important aspect when making a purchasing decision. 

But if you have to tell everyone how authentic you are, are you really authentic? ?? Or is it just another marketing ploy?

So what is authenticity, and why has it suddenly become so important?

Over the last couple of decades, brand trust has been declining, because of a contrast between the promises made by brands and what they deliver. As a result, consumers are becoming more doubtful of brand claims. This is where authenticity comes in.

Consumers do not trust brands that portray themselves as perfect. Instead, they instead want honesty and transparency.

“Consumers are faced with the challenge of finding authentic happiness in a world of mass-produced and hence inauthentic commodities.” (Jantzen, 2012)

How is authenticity defined? There are multiple interpretations of what exactly authentic is, but it is generally described with words such as real, honest, truthful, integrity, actual, genuine, essential, verified and sincere.

One common theme across definitions of authenticity is that it is a foundation for building trust.

A brief history of Authenticity

Philosopher Descartes first discussed the idea of authenticity in the 1600s as following a moral inner voice, individuals thinking and acting responsibly according to this voice.

Over the past 50 years or so, authenticity was a topic often talked about by music and psychology academics. Generally, the discussion centred around whether a performer or their music is deemed authentic. Both with cultural performances or modern music such as rock or rap.

It's generally agreed that authentic musical performances are for the sake of self-enjoyment or their ability in the art, whilst commercial endeavours are inauthentic. Doing something solely for the profit considered inherently inauthentic (why consumers often perceive brands as inauthentic).  This sides which an objective perspective of authenticity, which is an assessment placed on or judgement placed on an object that is what it claims, and it is genuine.

Consumers perceive an object as authentic based on their judgement of its sincerity - A truthful representation of what they say they are.  

This perspective of authenticity has the notion that products are produced by craftsmen primarily motivated by professionalism, tradition and love for what they are doing. In this sense, consumers seek uniqueness, originality, and genuineness.  

The tourism literature also widely discusses authenticity, as it has become a primary concern for consumers seeking experiences. Consumers will often research their destinations and therefore have a set of expectations, preferences and beliefs about what shall occur. 

Authenticity for within consumption cultures

Individuals seek #authenticity in a range of products, brands or experiences.  Debates about what is authentic within subcultures are common, usually concerned with and the nature of authentic membership and authentic behaviours. "Being" Versus "Doing".

Community members judge each other based on their intentions and acts. Members who adopt the accessories of a subculture without embracing its lifestyle and values considered as “doing” it — putting on a front to look the part. “Authentic” subculture members consider this as inauthentic, as their identity is not a reflection of true self.  In contrast, authentic members are those that are engaged in “being.”  By paying their dues over the years, subculture members earn authentic status. 

But authenticity is subjective to each individual, dependent on their interpretation. Intentions can seem authentic to some, authentic to others.  An individual’s opinion based on their associations based on their unique experience and knowledge. People match an object with the idea created by their beliefs and stereotypes.  The subjectivity of an individual's goals allows them to find authenticity and objects which others consider fake.

Consumers co-create the authenticity of a brand or experience and the meaning is dependent on their personal and unique understanding of what it means to be authentic.

“Authenticity’s association with reality, truth, and believability is subjective and allows the term to be used in different ways.” (Kolar & Zabkar, 2010)

Authenticity for Marketers

Authenticity is an important concept for marketers to understand, as consumers are more likely to trust authentic brands.  There are two main reasons.

1. How do brands communicate their authenticity? To enhance feelings of authenticity, marketers of brands relating to products or services should aim to come across as more “human” in advertising and promotion. Thus, enabling customers to recognise the characteristic values of the brand. Customers associate warmth, competence and trust with authenticity.
2. Consumers want to feel authentic. They want to feel like their true selves. A goal of the consumption of products, brands and experiences is self-authentication, to enhances peoples’ well-being. This goes back to what Philsopher Descartes originally discussed the notion of identity and "that an individual's morality was developed through their status in society, and from sources external of the body."

“Brand authenticity is a subjective evaluation of genuineness ascribed to a brand by a consumer.” (Napoli et al., 2014)

Marketers must adapt their approach for their specific brand in specific contexts and be aware of their customers' unique interpretation of authenticity.  It is important to understand the intricacies of the consumption communities related to their product, service or industry before an attempt to enhance perceptions of authenticity. A brand community is everywhere, some examples are Facebook groups, YouTube channels, blogs, and forums. Marketers should engross themselves in these communities to gain an understanding of what is authentic.

Self-Authentication for rock concert consumers

The image below is a representation of how rock concert consumers self-authenticate. This is from an article published from my thesis in the Australasian Marketing Journal. It illustrates the process by which a concert experience increases the wellbeing of customers through the self-authentication process. The band, fans, and venue co-create the experience, which in turn legitimises the consumer’s quest for authenticity at rock concerts.

People who attend rock concerts have very strong emotional ties to the bands, which we can think about like a brand.

The customer bases their satisfaction on several factors such as the:

1. Venue - the convenience of entry, purchasing beverages & merchandise, sound quality for example, but also on the ability to have the experience THEY WANT. Whether it is sitting in the stands or jumping around in the mosh pit.
2. There's also an expectation on the band to deliver. The quality of the performance, connection with the audience, song selection are aspects which influence the unique experience.
3. The audience also plays a factor. How engaged the audience is and the heightened emotional state or 'atmosphere' of people singing and dancing for example, this also helps co-create the experience.

This is an experience which allows consumers to self-authenticate as music fans. This self-authentication experience enhances the wellbeing of customers, so its a consumption experience they like to replicate often.

“Trust (like authenticity) is associated with consistency, competence, honesty, fairness, responsibility, helpfulness and benevolence.” (Morgan & Hunt, 1994)

Despite consumers having different goals, experiences, and expectations of what is authentic, one thing stays consistent - the desire for something real, true, and genuine. 

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