Marketing these days has to be engaging, as you are experiencing it. As part of the audience, you are aware of how advertising has grown ubiquitous — wherever you look, you notice the most minute details a brand is trying to sell you, whether it is a product or service.
Are you not tired of these blatant pushes?
As it is in 2016, ‘authenticity’ is happening. It has gained as much attention to callously invoke fake authenticity — and this is where a brand has to prove itself.
Magnifycreative.co.uk says: ‘Effective branding is not about getting your target to choose you over the competition, but it is about getting your audience to see you as the only one that provides a solution to their problem’. For a brand to break through the audience’s walls, it has to provide them with something they can and will perceive as sincere.
Reaching Out to Your Audience
- Authentic content resonates with an audience. Don’t tell them how ‘authentic’ your brand is — talk to them and be authentic. Consumers want to gain more than what they are paying for; they seek for ‘real world’ value. They want to own meaning, especially the Millennials, which make up a generation of individuality. Be creative and connect to your audience, show a story and reach out to their emotions.
- Be empathetic and engage your audience. Take it from your target market’s point of view and understand how they think and feel about your brand. Work on your weaknesses and capitalise on your strengths, but maintain a humble stance.
- Forego your ROI — from a statistical standpoint, this will help you crunch the numbers, but it will not assist you in creating authenticity. Allow criticism and address it. Your audience will witness your vulnerability and acknowledge your brand’s real value.
These are just three ways on how to reach out to your audience. The truth is: your brand is only as real as you make it out to be and projections will only take you so far. Authentic branding is intrinsic — it reaches out and feels, malleable as your brand name.