SUSTAINABILITY THROUGH AUTHENTICITY

Marketing is neither transparent nor authentic by nature. Consumers are starting to care less about what companies are selling and more about why they are selling what they do.

Marketing is neither transparent nor authentic by nature. Consumers are starting to care less about what companies are selling and more about why they are selling what they do.
Fewer and fewer consumers believe the messages that are being put out by traditional advertising messaging.

Marketing is neither transparent nor authentic by nature. Consumers are starting to care less about what companies are selling and more about why they are selling what they do. This purpose-driven trend paired with more astute consumers, has resulted in the move towards more honest marketing

– authentic marketing.

Unlike traditional advertising, authentic marketing looks internally to determine what the organisation stands for beyond just making profit; what is its purpose? To determine organisational direction and core values, business partners and key company executives need to define; ‘what is it we stand for that will never change, even if it proves to be a disadvantage at times?

This approach gives communication direction in terms of what is ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ for the organisation. It also creates long-lasting relationships with consumers, which ultimately paves the way for a successful and sustainable business. Authentic marketing is less about the touch-points weaved into an organisation’s marketing strategy or campaigns, and more about the stories that are told by the organisation. To this point, these stories should not be artificial, but rather an extension of the businesses’ self-expression.

With the boom of social media, the power has shifted from the organisation to the consumer, which is why it is very hard to hide behind unauthentic marketing because the truth will always reveal itself. Sustainability through authentic marketing requires businesses to reward loyal followers, and to be consistent, charitable and honest, with proof of what the organisation claims.

By Michael Baretta
Managing director
dotGOOD
michael@dotgood.co.za
@dot_good