Authenticity: A Gen Z Marketing Buzzword

A quick Google search yields tens of articles claiming that authenticity is the new Gen Z-oriented marketing strategy. So what does authenticity mean to the new generation of consumers, and how can growing businesses achieve it?

What is authenticity?

When we’re talking about marketing, the first type of authenticity that comes to mind is brand authenticity. According to Frontify, “brand authenticity refers to the degree to which a brand's marketing and messaging align with the reality of its products, values, and actions.” But for plenty of Gen Z consumers, authenticity means more than just brand integrity. Gen Z wants to see the product as a part of someone’s cool, spontaneous experiences – not styled on a pedestal.

Can we curate authenticity?

Like the carousels of candid shots that have taken over Instagram, Gen Z’s ideal brand markets itself honestly and effortlessly. If brands strategize too much about how to appeal to the younger generation, will they risk seeming insincere and try-hard?

That depends. “The most authentic brand voices are those born from rigorous brand strategy,” says Brian Lischer from Ignyte. If we want others to see us as we are, we have to really know who we are – and we have to present ourselves thoughtfully. Curating an image can’t create authenticity when we are trying to fit a Gen Z persona. It works when the goal is to properly represent our values.

But what about the spontaneous aspect of authenticity? Is it disingenuous to have models posing with our product in a pretend organic setting? There’s a time and place for abandoning curation. If our branding is true to our values and mission, we can attract the right people to create content with our products. User generated content (UGC) is a win-win: it shows potential customers that our product is part of someone’s real-life experience, and it engages followers through participation in the brand.

Does a human face build authenticity?

Gen Z isn’t convinced by faceless ads or scripted marketing, and they are disillusioned by the disconnect between big business higher-ups and the big businesses' products. If you are a small business owner with a close connection to your product, why not go one step beyond UGC and show your face in a few social media posts?

Let’s recap. Brand authenticity means that the values conveyed by the brand are the values that the brand really cares about. What better way to assure potential customers that your values are real than by showing yourself embodying them? Imagine a small fashion business whose ethos is based in sustainability. A simple clip of the owner sewing an order would make that ethos feel genuine.

Some people might argue that it’s more professional when a brand isn’t linked to a specific person. But a shifting perception of professionalism means that Gen Z values businesses that can speak to potential customers. Gen Z wants a human connection to brands and products, and they don’t need a brand to be overly formal in order to take it seriously.

Takeaways

Building genuine brand values is the first step in achieving authenticity. Once we have solidified our values, we can focus on how we represent them – and once we’re representing our values properly, a good marketing strategy can show Gen Z customers that our product offers them something real and memorable.

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