Consumers crave authenticity in marketing

Genuineness in marketing seems to resonate in this so-called “information age.” We are, after all,  constantly bombarded with a host of material, be it real or fake news, marketing and advertising, and social media (often used to promote said real/fake news and marketing/advertising). Trying to sort it all out can be daunting, so when something comes along that feels bona fide it tends to make an impact. 

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What exactly is “authenticity” in marketing and why does it matter? 

Lizzie Davey, in her piece “A Beginners Guide To Authentic Marketing,” for tintup.com, describes it as “the process of open communication and being on the 'same page' as the audience you're ‘talking’ to. It's the notion of creating a dialogue between your brand and your audience that's natural and genuine.”

Giselle Abramovich, the author of “What is 'Authenticity' in Marketing?” explained the importance of authenticity. Abramovich, writing for digiday.com, said: “We’re clearly in an age of unprecedented consumer empowerment, where the reality of products and services is just a Google search and tweet away. That’s led to an influx of marketers harping on the need to be ‘authentic.’ What’s often left unsaid is what exactly being authentic means within the context of marketing.”

One example of authenticity is a recent Yahoo News article I came across about an 
11-year-old Girl Scout who sold more than 15,000 boxes of Girl Scout Cookies by
​"keepin’ it real." 

Charlotte McCourt's phenomenal success started with a letter she wrote to a family friend persuading him to buy her product. Her honest assessment of the baked goods entailed a “1 out of 10” rating system with colorful commentary. Thin Mints earned a “9” with its “inspired” combination of chocolate and mint. Savannah Smiles also fared well, as its “divine taste" nabbed it a “7.” The Do-si-do, however, was judged harshly, garnering a “5” for “unoriginality and blandness.” (Side note: I disagree!
​I like Do-si-dos!) ​

Charlotte’s father, Sean, a producer on Mike Rowe’s “The Way I Heard It” podcast, enjoyed his daughter's reviews and shared it with his boss. Rowe, the former host of TV’s “Dirty Jobs,” read it on air and the publicity that resulted led the younger McCourt to sell thousands of packages. 
 
“In an age of fake news and dubious claims, leave it to a Girl Scout to show us the real value of truth in advertising,” Rowe said in a statement. “The simple truth that not all cookies are created equal. The undeniable fact, that some are ‘divine’ and others taste like ‘dirt.’”
  
How’s that for genuineness? If you can’t rely on the word of a Girl Scout then whose word can you rely on?