Mind the
(authenticity) gap

To succeed in a world where organisations are under increasing scrutiny, getting your brand building blocks right is fundamental. When these foundations are not clearly articulated, you run the risk of your audience’s experiences not living up to their expectations.

This, as Julie Sim, Brand Strategist at Luminous explains, is where you hit ‘the authenticity gap’.

Brand is the heart and soul of a company, the image and voice that gives life to a business. Successful companies no longer define themselves just by their profit and ROI – they express who they are and what they stand for through brand components such as their purpose, proposition, personality and values. And their statements on these have to be real; they must mean something. This may sound easy to achieve, but not only must the words be right, the company must live up to them. If the experience of your audience (your employees, customers and other stakeholders) does not meet their expectations, you have an authenticity gap. And where there is a gap, there is always the danger that mistrust, allegiance to rival brands and negative reviews will rush in to fill it. Closing any such gap is vital not only in protecting your brand reputation but, ultimately, to ensuring the long-term success of your business. To that end, consider our four top tips for tackling the issue:

1. Keep it real – avoid overpromising

Differentiation is becoming increasingly difficult. As a result, companies may overclaim because they are desperately trying to stand out. However, if there is the slightest chance that a company cannot completely deliver, it could be setting itself up to fail. It is much better for it to go out with a message that is completely honest about what it offers and what it does well.

EasyJet has always been clear about who it is and what it offers to its customers – low cost flights, no frills and extra charges for add-ons. Customers understand the company’s proposition. British Airways, on the other hand, positions itself as premium, but customers still have to pay for food or to reserve specific seats on some European flights. As a passenger, you could experience similar levels of service with both airlines, but come away perfectly happy with easyJet and disappointed in BA. 

2. Purpose requires action

As a B2B comms specialist, Luminous felt it was important to know what companies in the FTSE 100 say about themselves. So, we did some research and found that only 53 have a purpose that speaks to why they exist beyond profit. We understand that not every company will have a purpose and that is OK (although, as a key strategic tool, Luminous recommends defining one). What is not OK is using purpose as a glossy marketing tool – with no substance or actions behind it. A hollow purpose statement has little meaning and therefore little impact.

Unilever is a good example of an organisation with an aspirational purpose (‘To make sustainable living commonplace’) supported by an actionable plan (the Unilever Sustainable Living Plan, or USLP), ensuring that every decision made, from selecting suppliers to the ingredients used in its products, is fully aligned to its purpose. In 2018, Unilever reported that its sustainable brands grew 46% more than the rest of the business and delivered 70% of its turnover growth – in other words, it has achieved measurable profit from following through on its purpose. 

3. Champion the social issue that is right for you

In a time of rising public cynicism fuelled by fake news, dissembling politicians and uncertainties about the world’s economies, there is scope for companies to step forward and contribute to a better society. But this has to be done authentically, with care and in alignment with their brand values, so it does not strike the wrong chord with its audiences and the general public.

Two examples illustrate the point. In the US, at a time of strong feelings concerning immigration control and presidential talk of building a wall, The North Face initiated its ‘Walls are meant for climbing’ campaign to highlight how walls can be used to bring communities together rather than divide them. What’s more, the company pledged $1 million to The Trust for Public Land to help make climbing more accessible to the wider community and committed to other climbing-related activities for social benefit. Pepsi’s approach to addressing a social issue, though, fell flat and prompted much ridicule of the brand on social media. In using a well-known reality TV star to offer a police officer a can of its product and implying that this intervention could help resolve what appeared to be very mild social unrest, Pepsi prompted adverse public comment to such an extent that it withdrew its ad within 24 hours. The clear lesson from these two campaigns is that if addressing social issues, companies need to make sure their brand has the credibility to speak up. 

4. Authenticity comes from within

A downfall for many organisations is that employees, who have the potential to be powerful brand ambassadors, are often forgotten about as a key audience. Minimising the authenticity gap helps to prevent negative comments by word of mouth or online, on sites such as Glassdoor. To ensure your brand building blocks are authentic, it is important to take a democratic approach by getting your employees involved in the process rather than presenting them with fait accompli statements. 

At Luminous, we encourage organisations we work with to treat employee engagement as fundamental to the brand building process. Currently, we are helping CLS Holdings define its purpose, vision and values through an organisation-wide workshop approach including all 100+ employees. By involving employees in the process, an organisation shows that it values the opinion of its people and ensures they feel connected and engaged because they can see their influence on the final articulation.

To sum up, if your company has an authenticity gap, it is important to get to grips with it, establish how big it is and be forensic about where the problems are. Are you saying one thing and doing another? Are you talking openly and honestly with both your customers and employees? Are your brand values aligned with any social issue you choose to address? Think holistically about your brand. With care, you can ensure that the story you tell is authentic and touches, believably, on every part of what your brand stands for. 

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