Do you know what makes a Brand Popular? Authenticity. It is a key differentiator that can set your brand ahead of competitors. Consumers are looking for genuine, transparent brands that align with their values. Building an authentic brand is not just about what you say, but also about what you do and how you make your customers feel. D2C brands in India are booming and building an authentic brand image should be a priority in 2024.
Here’s your strategy for building an authentic brand👇
What is Brand Authenticity?
In simple terms, it is the perception that a brand is genuine & real in its values and provides an honest shopping experience. It is about being consistent in your messaging, actions and values across all touchpoints, be it product designs, quality, advertisements, marketing campaigns etc.
Authentic brands maintain the image and build trust and loyalty among the audience, resulting in long-term growth and success. Brands like Apple, Nike and Tesla have created an authentic brand image in the market that distinguishes them from their competitors. This brand reputation attracts people to own their products to associate with the brand name. The phenomenon is highly seen in luxury industries, consumers want to buy a GUCCI product or own a Rolls Royce because they have built an image where owning them is a luxury.
What is Brand Building?
A brand refers to a product or business with a distinct identity in the minds of consumers and audiences. So what makes your business, a brand? Creating a Facebook page or an Instagram account for your business won’t make it a brand. Develop customer engagement strategies to improve your visibility and spread brand awareness, via advertising or other marketing campaigns. Build a positive image for your brand, and create an authentic brand reputation in the market to gain your customer's trust and loyalty.
How to Build an Authentic Brand?
Developing brand authenticity is not a single-step practice. It takes immense planning and numerous tactics that are well executed. Especially for D2C brands, devising strategies to build an authentic brand image is important. The strategies will differ depending on the industry, scale and nature of the business. However, there is a set of measures your brand could follow that, despite the differences, will create a solid image of authenticity in the market.
Here are 7 tactics for your Authentic Brand Building Strategy.
1. Understanding Your Brand's Core Values
Every brand should have a purpose beyond profit-making. This purpose should be a reflection of the positive impact you want to make in the world. Brands must define what they stand for and communicate it to the audience, creating a sense of openness and genuineness.
Understand your customer base. Your clear-cut purpose and values should align with customer interests. This creates a stronger connection with the customers leading to long-term relationships. Patagonia built a brand around the values of sustainability and responsible consumerism, aligning with its targeted audience's virtues. Conduct surveys, talk to the public and use analytics and trend mapping to gain insights into what your customers want and look for.
2. Building a Consistent Brand Voice
The number of brand options available for customers today is mind-boggling. How do you think your brand will reach the right audience? That’s why you should find the right voice that reflects your brand’s personality and values to communicate to your customers. Whether formal, casual, humorous or serious, your brand voice should be consistent across all platforms and communications. Ryan Air has been a prominent figure in using humour and sarcasm to market its services, which has created a huge following on social platforms.
The best way to engage your audience is to tell your brand story. The storytelling method has been proven to be an effective way of developing longer recollections and responses. Use storytelling to convey your brand's journey, core values and mission. Don’t cook up stories to impress the audience. Authentic stories will remain consistent across platforms and resonate with people emotionally, building a deeper connection.
3. Transparency and Honesty
Nobody likes a brand that lies. Disinformation is one of the most frowned-upon techniques that can quickly tarnish customer loyalty. Avoid such misleading marketing tactics. Be honest about what your products or services can deliver. Authenticity in marketing means setting realistic expectations and delivering on your promises. Volkswagen beetle ads are a classic reminder of how honest marketing can still create an everlasting influence on your customers.
Transparency is on an upward trend. Not just brands, customers and government authorities largely favour brands that are transparent to auditing. Be open about your business practices, product sourcing and any challenges you face. If something goes wrong, own up to it and communicate how you’re addressing the issue.
How improving transparency is transforming the coffee industry.
4. Engaging with Your Community
Having loyal and responding customers is a blessing. Create a community around your brand where customers feel valued and heard. Engage with your audience through social media, forums and events. Offer your repeat customers something more to cherish, this fosters a sense of belonging and loyalty. Starbucks is a prime example of how rewarding customers for repeat purchases can create a community of loyal shoppers.
- Listen and Respond
A healthy two-way communication can foster trust and loyalty for them. Customers value brands that are ready to take feedback. Over 83% of customers respect a brand that listens and takes action on their queries and complaints. Track consumer complaints through dedicated platforms like Zoho or Happyfox for easy and quick reconciliation. Listen to customer feedback and respond promptly. Ready actions or responses show that you value their opinions and are willing to make improvements based on their suggestions.
5. Consistent Brand Experience
Choose a voice and ensure that is maintained across platforms. Your brand experience should stay consistent across all customer touchpoints, from your website and social media to customer service and physical stores. Ensuring Consistent Product Quality reinforces your brand’s authenticity and reliability. From brand designs, theme, tone, and product offerings to customer feedback and offerings and discounts, continue a consistent flow to build faith in your brand.
Personalisation has a critical role in customer interaction today. 60% of customers state personalisation encouraged them to repeat purchases. Learn your customer behaviour through various measures. Use the collected data to understand customer preferences and tailor your communications and offers accordingly. Customise product designs and qualities to fulfil their expectations and create ads and offers that meet their requirements.
6. Social Responsibility and Sustainability
Sustainability is the buzzword of 2024. Government, brands, retailers everyone is finding ways to be environmentally friendly. Why? Because that’s what consumers want. Implement sustainability initiatives in your operations. Whether it’s reducing your carbon footprint, using eco-friendly materials or supporting environmental causes, sustainability efforts demonstrate your brand’s commitment to making a positive impact.
IKEA has been very vocal about their usage of recycled and eco-friendly sourcing which has created a sense of trust with wider acceptance in the global community.
Brands should not be limited to using environmentally friendly products, they should also adopt ethical business practices that have a positive social impact. This includes fair labour practices, responsible sourcing and ethical marketing. Brands should not be just money-making machines, customer value businesses that take the initiative to make the world a better place to live in.
TOMS Shoes, a footwear company, conducted a One Day Without Shoes campaign which aimed to spread awareness about the lack of footwear available for children in developing countries. Till 2020, they were able to provide over 100 million pairs of footwear to children globally. Customers are more likely to support brands that align with their ethical standards.
7. Measuring Authenticity and Leveraging Technology
Implementing efficient supply transparency platforms helps you monitor your supply chain and find weaknesses that will get exploited by counterfeiters or fraudsters. This allows you to take action and reduce damages to your product and brand. Supply chain visibility also allows you to keep track of your product batches at every stage. Your consumers can also scan and authenticate the product information, quality, process and ethical practices undergone. Remember, having proper ways to verify the authenticity gives your customers more control over their choices which boosts trust in your product.
It's not just offline, your online presence has an immense impact on customers. Secure your digital front by investing in online anti-counterfeiting solutions. If you are selling on e-commerce platforms like Amazon or have a brand website, use solutions to monitor fake listings, ads, offers or possible IP infringements online. AI-based online brand protection tools will actively scan the internet 24x7 to identify and take down fake websites impersonating your brand, creating a safer experience for your customers.
Brand Authenticity Matters
A good brand will only last long if it keeps improving every day. Focus on collecting and tracking metrics that reflect your brand’s authenticity; customer loyalty, brand trust and engagement rates. Use these insights to continuously enhance your brand strategy. Building an authentic brand is an ongoing process that requires commitment, transparency and consistency. Stand apart from your competitors and make your customers feel valued.
If you are still wondering how to make your brand authentic, feel free to get in touch with us.
We, at Acviss have protected over 2 billion products, catering to over 80 Authentic Brands globally. Our advanced anti-counterfeiting and innovative brand protection solutions are always ready to build authenticity.
