The consumer of the twenty-first century is more perceptive, skeptical, street-smart and savvy than ever before. To thrive in this highly competitive business landscape, a business needs differentiation and a high degree of authenticity. Authenticity requires addressing your audience on their own level and having their best interests at heart. These audiences can be internal (employees) or external (customers or business partners).   Jim Koch, creator of the Samuel Adams brand, has a particularly succinct way of looking at the authenticity of his relationship with his customers. “When I recall starting Sam Adams, one of the reasons I did it was that I wanted to have beer that I liked to drink, and nobody else was making it,” he explains. “So it was really easy to identify with my consumers because I was the first one!”  

How can you be more real than that?

Successful entrepreneurs and business leaders take the needs and wants of their customers seriously. Rather than speaking down to people, like many consumer products companies did to women in the 1950s and ‘60s, basically referring to them as the chief laundress or pot scrubber, savvy business leaders treat all customers with respect and speak to their intelligence. As many highly successful entrepreneurs have learned, connecting this way is the cornerstone of building brand loyalty and a prominent brand following.  

Today’s consumer demands authenticity.

If your business plan includes a section on how to connect emotionally, you’ll definitely be ahead of the competition. The sad fact is that most companies never make that important connection nor do they offer a product or service that’s unique, fun and worth waiting in line for! It’s the exception rather than the rule when a business can say and mean, “And now for something completely different.” 

This not only helps build your customer base but gives you a strategic marketing advantage and something to talk about in your PR campaign.

Offering exceptional product quality and service, being customer focused, working outwardly (toward the customer) rather than inwardly – these are the traits of authentic companies, teams and brands. It often requires stripping away anything extraneous, anything that’s not customer centric.  This applies to companies big and small, mature and start-up alike. While being authentic is never easy, it’s well worth the effort.