How to ooze authenticity.
And why it's a key part of your brand strategy.
“Authenticity” is a buzzword in branding — and personally, I think it’s for good reason.
After all, an authentic brand — one that feels real — touches on the human experience and emotions in a way that makes whatever you’re doing impossible to ignore.
But how do you actually DO it? It’s so easy to say “We want our brand to be authentic.” It’s another thing to actually execute on it.
I don’t pretend to have all the answers. I’m not a designer, nor am I an expert in anything (I think calling yourself an “expert” in anything is douchey because there’s always more to learn).
But, I do have expertise in building brands. And as someone who gets told repeatedly that my brand voice and content feels human and real, I do have something to say.
So, here’s the process we’ve been going through at BrandStack with our clients to help them find their authentic voice.
Step 1: Find the hills you’re willing to die on.
Yes, I know. It’s melodramatic. Possibly very American. For my international readers, you might be rolling your eyes.
And look, it’s true. However, my experience has shown me that finding the things your team is passionate or curious about is the starting point for authentic-sounding message.
The truth is that your business has to believe in something if you want it to come off as authentic. You have to have values to know which lines in the sand you’re not willing to cross.
Step 2: Get honest about what you do.
This kind of dovetails off of step 1, but when you’re thinking about your brand mission and vision, authenticity comes from being specific.
For example, a LOT of businesses have come to me over the years with messaging like, “We’re a pioneering platform that enables people to break free of traditional limitations and revolutionize their working world.”
^This is not authentic, because it isn’t honest. While you might be building an innovative idea… it’s not “changing the entire landscape of how we operate” or whatever.
The truth: people don’t really buy into the idea of innovation for innovation’s sake. People bought automobiles because they were interesting — but also because they were a more efficient way of transporting things from Point A to Point B.
So, while you need to believe in something and have a bigger vision, if you want it to be authentic, it needs to be realistic.
Just find the most honest thing that you can say about your work. That’s your brand tagline.
Step 3: Give it personality.
Over the course of the discovery phase, a clear brand personality starts to emerge. At a certain point though, it’s helpful to define what makes you, you.
This is where the fun and creative part comes into play. At BrandStack we use Brand Archetypes to help angle all of your messaging decisions. We also make sure the look and feel of the brand aligns with what you’re saying.
^That’s the strategy that lets you execute in a way that always feels on-brand. But the trick is that you have to let your team have some fun with it.
Regardless of your industry — from data to decarbonization — creative thinking is how you communicate your authenticity. It’s how you express yourself in an interesting and unique way.
So in short: let your creatives be creatives. Give them space to take risks and play. You might be surprised at what comes out.
Authenticity comes from giving your team permission to lean into personality.
It comes from knowing who you are, what you do, and why you’re doing it. It’s about being honest with the world. It comes from understanding yourself.
That ^ is why brand is so important. It’s often the only time that teams actually sit down and align on this stuff.
If you’re feeling stuck… hit reply and let me know.
We’ve got a free audit that might be able to help. 😉
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