Authenticity. Take a moment to think about what authenticity
means to you and a couple different brands that fit your idea of being authentic –
we’ll revisit them later.
When we took a moment to do the same, we came up with the idea
that authentic brands are original and they do great things. One example is
Patagonia, a brand that are pioneers in the clothing industry and consistently stay true to their
identity; all while doing amazing things in the world.
However, we began to question our ideas of authenticity and
wanted to dig deeper. So, we asked around, “What does
authenticity mean to you?” and the responses were the following:

All the answers were similar to Merriam-Webster’s definition of
“authentic” – not false or imitation – REAL, ACTUAL.
After compiling these answers and thoughts, a question came about:
Do Brands Have to Do “Good” to Be Authentic?
This is the question that makes “authenticity” ambiguous.
Sure, a brand can do original things. However, if their actions are not “good”,
does that mean the brand isn’t authentic?
Well, that poses a new question of what your definition of
“good” means.
Depending on your morals and values, your definition of
“good” will be different than others. We're certain there will be similarities
among many of us, though they will differ.
These morals and values are the same for brands and
businesses. Each brand has their own unique set of morals and values, which
guides their decisions.
Depending on a certain brands morals and values, their
interpretation of “good” may differ than what others believe. What someone might
consider “bad” or “immoral”, someone else might not see it that way. Therefore,
when determining if a brand is authentic, we must base it on the brand's own
unique set of morals and values.
With this concept in mind, it leads us to our definition.
If a brand consistently makes decisions which follow their
morals and values, while being original and transparent – their brand will earn
the label “authentic”.

Painting an Authentic Picture
Now, equipped with our definition of “authentic”, let's revisit the question that we started with – “What does authenticity mean to you
and what are a couple different brands that fit your idea of authentic?”
Did any of the brands you chose fit our definition? Do they
consistently make decisions which follow their morals and values, while being
original and transparent? If yes, that’s great – you’re a pro. If no, that’s
alright – we’re going to go through an example to paint the full picture, but
first I’d like to run through the process of how we’re going to evaluate
whether a brand is authentic or not.
There are three parts.
1. Decisions Consistently Align with Morals and Values
Understand the brands morals and values, then evaluate whether their decisions align with their unique set of morals and values. Remember, we may not agree with the brands morals and values, but we have to remain neutral to avoid evaluating from a bias perspective.
2. Originality
Is the brand original, unique? Simple as that.
3. Transparency
This one can be difficult as most brands are generally considered transparent until something bad happens. However, use your best judgement and it never hurts to get a few other opinions.
Authenticity Test Subject 001 - Amazon
Kicking off our list is Amazon. Heard of them? Let’s get to know Amazon on a more personal level. What are
their morals and values? Their mission statement is a great place to start.
“To be Earth’s most customer-centric company, where
customers can find and discover anything they might want to buy online, and
endeavors to offer its customers the lowest possible prices.”

Along with their mission statement, Amazon lists a few
guiding principles:
“Invent and Simplify”
“Insist on the Highest Standards”
“Think Big”
“Earn Trust”
“Customer Obsession”
All these guiding principles reinforce their mission
statement of putting the customer first and delivering at an exceptional level. With an understanding of their morals and values, let’s
evaluate their decisions on macro and micro levels.
From a macro perspective, Amazon is consistently reinvesting
and searching for ways to deliver better service to customers. For example,
since Amazon’s acquisition of Whole Food in 2017, they have been lowering prices in best interest of customer. Of course, there is the argument that
it’s to eliminate competition and drive profits. Regardless, the decision
favours customers which aligns with their morals and values.
Looking at Amazon from a micro angle, they’re always
delivering a pleasant customer experience whenever a problem occurs. In the
case of a customer being disappointed in the delivery time, Amazon often
refunds a portion of the item(s). Similar case if the customer receives an
incorrect item, Amazon will send the correct item free of charge and allow the
customer to keep the incorrect item. Customers can easily abuse this system,
though Amazon places their trust in customers to hold themselves to the same
standard Amazon does as a company.
Based on our research, Amazon meets the criteria to pass step
one in our process of ensure their decisions consistently align with their
morals and values.
Now, is Amazon original? Hell, yes.
After looking at all their business ventures, they’re a
clear thought-leader and dominate originality. As marketers, we might be quick
to head over to their social media and conclude that it looks tame and
unoriginal. However, we must start from a strategic perspective and
understand that social media is simply one tactic in a massive marketing
strategy comprised of many marketing tactics.
Finally, we’ve come to transparency. Since Amazon is a
publicly traded company, it forces them to be more transparent than those who
aren’t. The public has an inside look at Amazon’s financial interactions to see
where their revenue is going and the direction of the company.
Despite being public, Amazon – like every company - does
face questions
of transparency. Amazon doesn’t like to talk when it doesn’t have to. As a
customer, and if I was an investor, I respect that. Therefore, Amazon earns a
checkmark for transparency in my books.
With that, based on our criteria we selected, Amazon fits
the definition of “authentic”.
Future of Authenticity
The future of authenticity will be interesting. There is
more emphasis from consumers than ever before for brands to embrace corporate
social responsibility. Though, there are still brands who are authentic that
don’t represent similar values and morals as their consumers. Therefore, there
might be a shift in thought around the word “authenticity” and the value the
word itself holds.
Regardless, at Sherpa Marketing we love to work with businesses
to help them align their brands to their morals and values, thus building loyal
consumers and strong advocates.
We’d love to hear what you think the future of authenticity
looks like and if we did a good job at understanding it for ourselves! So, we
encourage you to leave comment below or email our most authentic Sherpa – Marty Fisher, CEO of Sherpa.
While you're at it, please check out our
Coffee Break, where we chat about 'Brand Authenticity'!