Breaking the Chains of Perfection and Pushing Authenticity

Tag: genz

White text on a gray background that reads "breaking of perfection and pursuing authenticity"

 By: Ray Lapoint

What is Authenticity?

Trapped behind cell phone screens and computer monitors, users of the digital world have become far removed from reality. So far removed that the future of marketing may very well depend on the focus and concentration of a single attribute. Authenticity.

Authenticity means being real or genuine. When thinking about personal authenticity, individuals believe this creates an opportunity for them to portray themselves in a unique, realistic way and withhold from the force of influence of others. Authenticity, as it relates to brand identity generates a similar perception in the eyes of their audiences. People want to feel as if their favorite brands are speaking directly to their personal values and beliefs. In other words, they want to have a connection with brands.

Advertisers and marketers believe that practicing authenticity and even transparency through marketing and advertising help customers connect with a brand, stimulate brand trust and help overcome consumer skepticism toward ads according to the American Marketing Association. This includes everything from your website, your social media interactions, partnerships, and campaign agendas. 

The average customer is smarter than we think.

When thinking about connecting with your consumers, your goal is to have them perceive your brand as genuine or real. Given the infinite spider web of the digital landscape and incredibly connected social world, audiences are no longer reacting to generic marketing and unrealistic expectations. People don’t react to “glossified” advertising anymore. Examples of this can be seen in the fast-food industry where the delivered product does not resemble the advertised result. We have all been there. Those fast food joints neglect the presentation factor when crafting delicious meals. The food insufficiently captures the experience leading to an unhappy customer. 

Consumers have ditched the ideals of perfection and have started craving something better. They crave authenticity. Buying into a brand is more than buying a product or service. It is a mutually beneficial relationship between consumers and a brand. A brand produces a genuine promise through a product or service, and consumers give their continued business in return.

It almost seems as if some marketing firms today have an agenda to maximize profit regardless of unrealistic product promises. For example, we have all experienced buying a product that has not met our expectations. Popular trends give evidence to this phenomenon like “Expectation vs. Reality” memes. 

Lack of genuine endorsements on social media

Brand ambassadors and paid influencers are great for promoting a brand’s image and products. Not only is this an opportunity for media influencers to share personal experiences and curate new content, but it also illustrates a brand’s identity. Although these paid sponsorships generate mutually beneficial relationships for an influencer and a brand, in some cases, these relationships are solely based on follow-count and not sharing similar values or beliefs. 

Say a strictly vegan-based brand wants to hire a rising influencer to promote their new line of vegan, sustainable and dairy-free milk to their 1 million followers. The brand might think it is a grand idea to work with them in promoting their product for their high follower count. Meanwhile, the influencer posts content of them grilling and eating animal meat and wearing real animal fur on their social media. In this example, it is evident this influencer does not share the same values as the brand which could lead to potential upset with customers of the brand as well.

Failed social media endorsement 

When social media influencers or brand ambassadors endorse a product, their content needs to be genuine or real otherwise it may have a negative impact. Bootea, a fitness and detox brand had to make their mistake first in order to learn from it. The brand had partnered with Scott Disick who is known for his appearance in the reality TV series Keeping up with the Kardashians. Disick missed the mark when he posted on Instagram with the direct instructions given to him by the brand. This shows the audience that he did not generate a personal caption putting the brand in an embarrassing position.  

Some viewers of these marketing advertisements may see these as misleading or ungenuine endorsements for products. Can these products keep their promises when they pay influencers to read a generic script and sample a product? How do we know if their support is genuine? It is an uphill battle for public relations professionals to find influencers that align fairly well with the brand’s voice, yet they are crucial in securing an authentic relationship with your target audience.

Where does that leave the future of marketing?

Connecting with consumers has never been more of a challenge for brands. How are future marketers supposed to combat this likely dark path of falsehood? Leveraging authenticity to attract existing and new customers is critical. An easy way to practice this is to diversify your content and implement strategies different from that currently in the marketing world. Numb is the feeling you get when something is no longer affecting you. Similar to recycled marketing approaches, you aren’t getting the same response as you once did thus, calling for a fresh angle.

The customer-centric model requires “a deep understanding of the social, financial, emotional and intellectual needs of the buyer at certain stages, along with what they enjoy outside of the buyer’s journey” says Forbes Councils Member, Jessica Scanlon.

Understanding what your customers want and needs are undoubtedly important to know, however understanding their beliefs and values give way to more opportunities for growth and acceptance. Utilizing what we know about our audiences can help us as marketers gauge the brand tone and voice we want to portray. Not only that, we need to understand the simple human truths and connect them to the values behind our brand.

Sources:

https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/0022242918815880#bibr40-0022242918815880

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Blue square with white line drawings of stick people and drinking glasses and text that reads: "How bartending helped me understand the consumer"

By Kianna Rodriguez

Shaking Up the Consumer 

As a bartender, I understand that the job isn’t just about mixing a great cocktail. Customer relationships are at the heart of what I do. Bartenders possess not only drink-making skills but the ability to connect with customers through conversation and advice. Bartenders possess a special skill, almost a superpower called listening. Bartenders listen to feedback on drinks and learn what makes customers tick. We listen to customers’ thoughts and motivations. By engaging in conversations with them about any topic that they want to cover. People come in and talk about various topics from their relationships, friendships, and work life to home life, politics and more. As a budding advertising and public relations professional, I can see how this deep dive into the feelings and thoughts of the customer should inform my work.

Creating a Meaningful Relationship 

We listen to the customer and learn their favorite things, their careers, their background, and their hopes and dreams for the future. But we also learn about what they fear in the world, from people to places to things. Taking in all this information is beneficial to my college career as an advertising and public relations student. Why? Because I can see a deep understanding of the consumer as the only way to help a brand connect on a meaningful level. I can help brands find new ways to connect with customers.

All brands need to find a way to connect to their customers on a different level. For example, Dove released a campaign called “Reverse Selfie”  which showed the effects of social media standards on young women. Young girls heavily edit their pictures and constantly stare at themselves in the mirror. Now when they are looking in the mirror they are not admiring their beauty but judging their imperfections. But Dove knew the new generation was getting impacted by beauty standards and how girls “should look.” They showed, in reverse, how girls don’t need to live up to unrealistic standards.

The campaign aimed to “reverse” the negative effects of social media on young girls. 

Another example is Apple’s campaign called “The Underdogs” which shows a team of four at a company creating the design for a round pizza box and presenting it to their boss in short order. Apple knew they had to connect to people in a new light and chose to do this campaign about how Apple can help people succeed with their products and software. They knew they had to connect to their audience in a different way, they knew people worked hard to reach their goals and they showed that their company is here to help the consumer achieve their specific goal. Apple shows that their merchandise is to help people that want to achieve their goals. They show in the video how to use almost every Apple product and the capabilities of the products, like tools that can be used for work to be more productive. 

Listening to Consumers

These brands listened to their consumers. They learned how to connect with them on a deeper level. They learned what motivates customers to behave in a certain way. Being the right type of account planner means finding the right motivation to influence a campaign. As a bartender, I listen to what concerns people and what excites them. I take that back to my advertising and public relations classwork. I find a deeper, meaningful way to connect to consumers. Finding that deeper connection means consumers express a higher level of customer satisfaction and loyalty to the brand. I take this information and help our campaigns engage consumers on a deeper level. My job as a bartender helped me engage consumers and understand their feelings and emotions, which really matters for the work we do at The Martin Hall Agency.

Dove. (2021, April 20). Dove | reverse selfie | have #theselfietalk. YouTube. Retrieved October 27, 2022, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z2T-Rh838GA 

Apple. (2019, April 2). Apple at work – the underdogs. YouTube. Retrieved October 27, 2022, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G9TdA8d5aaU 

Rawat, A. (n.d.). 10 ways bartenders can self-learn & improve their skills. Bartenders Business. Retrieved November 1, 2022, from https://bartendersbusiness.com/en/articles/insights-1/10-ways-bartenders-can-self-learn-improve-th

Prange, J. (2022, February 9). Bartending 101: Conversation do’s and don’ts for bartenders. TouchBistro. Retrieved November 1, 2022, from https://www.touchbistro.com/blog/conversation-do-s-and-don-ts-for-bartenders/ 

eir-skills-335.htm 

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Text that reads"How Gen Z can make your brand one to remember" on a blue background

By Jillian Peyton

Establishing a unique, memorable brand is not easy in today’s highly competitive market. The media landscape is evolving daily, and creative teams struggle to match the pace of change while maintaining a unique identity that matches their brands’ identities.

All the while, brands trying to emulate the latest trends risk being outperformed by competitors with similar messaging. For real success, a brand must outwit, outsmart and be more imaginative than its competition. On top of that, a brand must beat others to the punch. 

According to a study by The Center for Generational Kinetics, Gen Z, consisting of those born between 1997 and 2010, is the most “Internet-dependent generation,” and therefore, the generation with the most exposure to digital media. Understanding the latest trends is second nature for Gen Z, which has unbeatable expertise in the ever-changing media landscape.

“A brand is the set of expectations, memories, stories and relationships that, taken together, account for a consumer’s decision to choose one product or service over another.”

 – Seth Godin

How Gen Z Can Help Your Brand

Because of Gen Z’s youth, you may hesitate to trust them with the fate of your brand’s success. However, Gen Z is the first generation of true digital natives, and those with an interest in marketing and communications have the potential to revolutionize your brand’s image.

Having always grown up with the Internet and social media, Gen Z is accustomed to the constant development of new media platforms and shifting consumer expectations. Gen Z is already known to quickly adapt to new social media trends and corporate social responsibility expectations.

Social Media Trends

Gen Z is familiar with all social media platforms, including Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok and BeReal. As social media platforms come and go, Gen Z quickly adapts and creates engaging content.

For consumers to be receptive to brands, creative teams must recognize social media’s capability to bridge the gap between brands and consumers. Gen Z appreciates this element in their own targeted messaging, and according to Sprout Social, Gen Z hopes to “interact with brands beyond the storefront.” 

Recognizing the need for brands to connect more with consumers on a personal level, Gen Z marketers only beginning their careers have already implemented this strategy in their content, simultaneously affirming their undeniable creativity. 

For example, Duolingo, an app for learning languages through self-paced lessons, has a TikTok account managed by Zaria Parvez, a Gen Z marketer who graduated in 2020. Duolingo targets Gen Z consumers through its TikTok, and its content distinguishes the brand from competitors through humorous (and unhinged) videos.

@duolingo

the duality of bird 🦉#duolingo #comedy #carryingyourlove #dualipa #trend #girlboss

♬ original sound – Whatsername

As of October 2022, Duolingo’s TikTok has 4.9 million followers, and the account has earned more than 97 million likes. None of the brand’s competitors, such as Rosetta Stone (430 TikTok followers) or Babbel (22,300 TikTok followers), distinguished themselves in such an organic, creative way that ignited consumer engagement and interest.

By choosing Parvez to manage its TikTok, Duolingo recognized the potential of a Gen Z marketer to creatively revolutionize its brand and help it stand out amongst competitors.

Corporate Social Responsibility

People of all ages expect brands to engage in authentic corporate social responsibility. In response, brands like Patagonia have increased their efforts to improve sustainability and support underserved communities.

According to public relations firm Edelman’s research, 70% of Gen Z is involved in a social or political cause. Across the globe, Gen Z has been at the forefront of political activism, including movements such as March For Our Lives and School Strike for Climate.

Gen Z is passionate, unafraid to stand up for its beliefs and can emphasize your brand’s dedication to social responsibility and change through actionable and authentic means.

Some companies may be wary of the possibility of invoking criticism by establishing the social responsibility important to their brand; however, in the long run, people remember actions better than words. Allowing Gen Z to align your brand with the company’s most meaningful causes will essentially be both rewarding and unforgettable.

Next Steps: Trust Gen Z to Make Your Brand Remarkable

We know trusting young advertising and public relations professionals with your company’s image can be daunting, but the outcome will surprise you.

Your company needs the support of a team who truly understands the shifting intricacy of the media landscape. Gen Z not only understands change, but they thrive with it. Without missing a beat, Gen Z can learn how to succeed with any new media platform and connect with your audience by understanding their most important needs.

Creative teams worldwide are trying to accomplish the same goal for their brand, making it increasingly difficult for any brand to catch the public’s interest. Simultaneously, the public is growing increasingly distrustful of any brand messaging, instinctively ignoring most brand messaging they encounter.

Gen Z understands this mindset, and they can easily distinguish between authenticity and baseless promises. Further, Gen Z is the first generation of true digital natives accustomed to constant change, innovation and shifting consumer expectations.

Because of this, Gen Z understands worthwhile content, and they know how to produce and deliver it through your brand in the best possible way. With so many competitors seeking the same outcome, Gen Z’s unmatched confidence and creativity are priceless.

By allowing Gen Z to take the reins, your up-and-coming brand can undergo a positive transformation, cutting through the noise of competitors and catching the eye of your audience.

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