Written by: Mariela De La Mora, Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.
Authenticity has become performative.
I worked in Marketing for 16 years before becoming a Leadership Coach, and I often found myself in situations where I was putting a message out there that I knew wasn’t the truth and — ultimately, I’ve quit jobs over this, too.
Q: So, how can brands keep it real with customers?
A: Authentic marketing
Authentic marketing means the business itself reflects the values they market: how they operate, who they hire, where their money goes, and how they treat customers and employees. It’s more than saying you stand for something on Thursday and going back to business as usual by Monday. It’s not much different from what you’d expect from an authentic person: someone’s who is words consistently align with their actions.
Authentic marketing is a reflection of a brand’s true values rather than a “performance” of them. On the other hand, performative marketing aims to manufacture emotion or trust (saying ‘the right thing’) to elicit a buying decision. Or even worse, it manufactures insecurities and then weaponizes them against you to make you buy. These kinds of manipulation tactics are often referred to as ‘bro marketing.’
Here are five ways to build a more authentic brand:
Tell your brand stories. Everyone has a story. Brands often think they don’t, but if you scratch below the surface, they do. Stories create an emotional connection and make you 22 times more memorable.
Sell products/services you actually believe in. This one seems like it would be obvious. But if you don’t think your product is really helping people, you’re selling a false narrative, not a true solution.
Be transparent about how your business operates and how it aligns with your values. This may include things like where and how you source materials, diversity, and inclusion accountability. Transparency is important, especially when you make a mistake. Being an authentic brand means taking ownership, not being perfect.
Remain consistent across time and platforms, or you risk being called out for being performative.
Walk the talk. Your business model and your actions should match your true values. Don’t ‘perform’ good values.
In a world where we’re exposed to hundreds of marketing messages a day, customers want to feel that they are buying from a person, not a corporation. They want to work with brands that align with who they are. That’s why building an authentic brand involves humanizing it and building a lasting relationship with your audience and customers, not just a transactional one.
Mariela De La Mora, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine
Mariela is a Life Coach and certified EQ Leadership Coach who helps women of color become powerhouse leaders of purpose-driven brands. Her mission is to help women of color break glass ceilings by healing the generational trauma and cultural conditioning holding them back from becoming the leader they can be.
She was named one of the top 10 leadership coaches by Yahoo Finance and has coached 6 and 7-figure CEOs and even leaders in the United Nations.
She previously spent 15 years in marketing while leading teams across the globe. As a 1st generation Mexican American, she was often the only woman of color in senior leadership and had to break past systemic and mindset barriers to do it.
She now helps women bridge that gap through trauma-informed life coaching and emotional intelligence development, so they can fully step into their power and lead with intention.
