Authenticity is the Currency of the 21st-Century

"Who are you?

Who, who, who, who?

Who are you?

Who, who, who, who?" 

I don't think that Roger Daltrey was singing about branding, but he easily could have been.

He could also be belting out the cry of consumers. I can hear the chorus of shoppers as they roam the strip malls and mega marts.

Oh, they are so confused!

Who are these merchants and retailers? What do they stand for? What do they carry?

Are they truthful in their advertising? Are they transparent? Are they authentic?

Do they care about me or just my money?

Ouch!

What retailer wants to answer these questions?

I'll tell you who...the ones that know who they are and are being real every day to every customer! Wow, what a powerful release that must be...the truth!

Do you want the "secret" to advertising success?

Now, you might need to write this down. It is really complicated and difficult for most retailers to understand. 

Ready?

Truth sells! Honesty is the best policy! People want transparency! 

Let me say it in a hipper, cooler way — you might even want to tweet it. 

Authenticity is the currency of the 21st-century! 

Did you get that? Let me say it one more time in a simpler manner...

Be honest with your customers. Don't spin the truth. Listen to what your customer wants and then give it to them. Know who your customer is, find where they are, tell them what you have, deliver what you promised. Repeat. 

Consumers today are starving for an authentic message from a business that they can trust.  They are looking for an organization that gets them, understands their needs, and wants to solve their problems. 

Yep, that is the dirty little secret of advertising.

Now, comes the difficult part...actually doing it every day, every time.

Good luck!