Authenticity:-What consumers long and cry for.

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Yesterday as I was flipping through the TV channels one advert really caught my eye giving me the inspiration to write this article. And authenticity, I saw!

The Viceroy advert with its tag-line “superbly matured brandy” simply showcases how the brandy is processed and packaged with experienced brewers in the cool, serene outskirts of South Africa. The message being outlined is simple:-“We at Viceroy make sure you have the superbly matured brandy and we do this by going to great pains to make it happen…We have been doing this since 1845…How??The traditional authentic way as we craft the barrels with our plain hands to give you the perfect distilled matured brandy you have been longing for…”

The current modern trend in branding/brand messaging is what I would like to call the ‘Authentic Super-Highway’; the route where you constantly reassure the consumer that they can always trust on you to deliver the promise. And the new tag-lines are something in the lines of:-“Look at our rich heritage”  … “We have been in this industry longer than our competitors and you can rely on us”… “It’s all about giving you what is real ,nothing fake” … “the true service, product, desire …you name it”… “what we do is basically our core” … “see, feel, taste…we are here…we are authentic”… and the list goes on and on.

Today morning I perused the notes of @brandamentalist new 2009/2010 trend report titled:-‘The visual language of brand by David Ansett’. (Truly Deeply.com) And true to his word he confirmed my afore mentioned assumptions.

The following is an excerpt from the report:-

‘A key driver of brand equity has always been authenticity. The word “Authentic” derives from the Greek authentikós, which means “original.”As consumers in most of the western world renew their affection for brands that provide a sense of safety and reliability, authenticity has become the new brand value of choice. Attributes such as genuine and true are the proof points for these brands. Authenticity is all about practicing what you preach; being totally clear about who you are, what you stand for and how you must behave to demonstrate that. Over the past year we have seen a prevalence of authentic cues in advertising, packaging and brand identity of many brands. These authentic cues have come in the form of story-telling, product development and of course, visual language. Brands such as Levis and Harley Davidson have long been regarded as brands steeped in authenticity. The visual language of their brand images are rich with cues of their heritage. Many brands are seeking to re-tell their stories, digging back into their past to unearth their own authentic visual language’.

Closer home, it’s fascinating to see some Key brands portray the theme of Authenticity, sending a clear message to their competitors, as illustrated by the following three case points:

Case point 1

Tusker brand with their new tag-line of “refresh your roots”, which shows the brand’s  evolvement hence creating  nostalgia and a feel of always being there  since way back creating a sense of trust. Therefore, when the target market sees it , they are reminded of how far they have come and that their trusted  beer brand has been with them throughout there life.

Case point 2

Crown paints, who once in a while show adverts of how colors have really transformed Nairobi (and I wonder why only Nairobi???) from the early fifties to the modern day we know it as. Their message is simple “its all about authenticity, colors are what really make a difference”.

Case Point 3

Bamburi cement’s tag-line of “part of you from the start”…what Bamburi cement is basically doing is  reassuring their consumers that  “don’t worry… we are part of you from the start…the good houses you live in…the wonderful  bridges in Kenya …are  all products of Bamburi cement”… etc…etc

And how I wish big players like Safaricom could taste a piece of the authenticity cake.

Instead of creating the impression that the Masaa ya Kubamba craze has grown all over Kenya and everybody is happy about it (Because if you ask me Zain Kenya/Bharti airtel still has the best competitive rates in town…),the ideal strategy should be one of assuring their consumers that they are the players who defined innovation and redefined communication in the first place, taking them back, making  them realize the roots of what made Safaricom the heritage of innovation. And that is all the consumer longs for, the deep reassurance that despite the competition:-you are my better option.

Come rain or shine the ‘Authentic Super-Highway’ will always deliver a plus for your brand .

And as John Grant the author of the new ‘Marketing Manifesto’ puts it :- “AUTHENTICITY IS THE BENCHMARK AGAINST WHICH ALL BRANDS ARE NOW JUDGED.”