071: Real is rare: let’s reclaim authenticity

Real is rare: let’s reclaim authenticity

With host Solveig Petch, aka Petchy

071: Real is rare: let’s reclaim authenticity

Authenticity. It’s unfortunately become a bit of a buzzword in the branding world, and that is a pet peeve of mine!

Because so many companies have been misusing authenticity as a marketing gimmick to appeal to people’s yearning for something genuine, trustworthy, sincere products and experiences, “authentic” no longer carries the same meaning as it used to. 

So now, when a brand claims to be authentic, instead of leading to increased levels of trust — it often leads to scepticism and cynicism. That’s because we, as consumers, increasingly recognise that many brands use authenticity as a fancy facade to hide their true intentions. And those intentions are often focused on profit, profit and more profit, at any cost. As a result, these cynical brands have ruined authenticity for the rest of us, and it’s pissing me off big time!

Can we reverse this damage? I think we can, but it’s going to take some work. As human-centred brands, we need to take a different approach, one that prioritises authenticity in every aspect of our businesses — without shouting about it as if it’s a big deal. I mean, it kinda is a big deal, but really it should just be the norm. We shouldn’t have to question someone’s authenticity, but here we are.

Tune in to hear my take on this!


To undo the damage that has been done, we — the people building human-centred brands — need to take a different approach, and it’s not as simple as hitting Command+Z.

— Solveig Petch


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Petchy xx

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072: Human is the only move left w/ Rachel Allen

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070: Are you building a shallow brand?