Consumer demands for authenticity have changed
Authenticity used to be simple. A handshake. A promise kept. A story that was true. Today, it’s more complex. Consumers have become more skeptical, more critical - and more discerning. They can smell bullshit from afar. And they’re quick to judge.
According to a Stackla study, 86% of consumers believe authenticity is a key factor when deciding which brands to like and support. At the same time, 57% of consumers feel that less than half of brands deliver authentic content. This means that authenticity is no longer a luxury - it’s a necessity.
So how do you create authenticity in a world where all brands claim to be real? Where transparency is an expectation, not a differentiator? Where authenticity isn’t just something you say, it’s something you show - every single day?
Consumers don’t just want to hear your story. They want to experience it. They want to see it live in your products, your communications, your customer service, your company culture. It’s not enough to say you stand for something - you have to prove it in action.
We’ve seen it happen. Brands that dare to live their values win. The brands that take shortcuts are exposed. Because authenticity is not about being perfect - it’s about being real. About owning your mistakes. About being vulnerable, human, imperfect.
Take Oatly for example. They’ve made authenticity a business strategy, where their unfiltered, humorous and sometimes provocative communications have created a brand that feels real. And it works. In just two years, their revenue increased significantly, and in 2020 they experienced growth of over 100%. Their success proves that authenticity is not just a branding exercise - it can be felt on the bottom line.
In a world filled with generic messages and watered-down campaigns, creativity is one of the strongest paths to authenticity. It’s about daring to communicate differently, instead of falling into the same trap as everyone else.
It could be a bold tone of voice. An unconventional visual identity. A campaign that doesn’t try to speak to everyone, but instead creates a deeper connection with the right people.
We’ve seen how brands that dare to be quirky, dare to provoke, and dare to believe in something get far more engaged customers. Because authenticity is a feeling, not a format.
How to be authentic
To be authentic, you need to understand your target audience better than they understand themselves. You need to know what drives them, what inspires them, what makes them roll their eyes. It takes more than superficial personas - it takes real insight.
How do they speak? How do they consume content? What matters to them - really matters? The brands that take the time to listen and understand are the ones that can create authenticity that feels natural.
Many brands try to buy into authenticity. They jump on the right trends, they say the right things, they have the right partners. But authenticity can’t be faked. It can be felt. And if it feels fabricated, it’s worthless.
It’s not about being perfect. It’s about being clear about who you are. About standing by it, even when it’s inconvenient. About showing that you mean it.
So the question isn’t: How do we become more authentic?
The question is: Are we brave enough to be?
