Why authenticity is a touchy-feely sensory thing

The Sunny Delight fiasco indicates the huge price paid when consumer expectations are not met. When you promise one thing but deliver another. Whilst I do think marketing now is a lot smarter than marketing then, I guarantee that there are countless brand propositions available today that are not seamlessly aligned across all touch points. The extent of this misalignment might not be as obvious as the Sunny D example, but any instance where brand, pack & product are not perfectly aligned will carry a penalty – be it a reduced level of trust, engagement or advocacy. The commercial implications are not difficult to imagine.

Earning trust is ultimately an appeal to the consumer’s heart strings. The same can be said of authenticity. In my view, authenticity is a key constituent of trust and is - in all probability - increasing its influence. Every marketing manager wants his or her brand to be considered authentic, but defining exactly what we mean by the word lacks a consistent view. Authenticity is a fuzzy thing, but relentless hang outs with Millennials (other consumers are available) has given me the confidence to create a definition of authenticity and make a strong case for a sensory led approach towards achieving it.

My definition is three pronged, and illustrated thus:

To be authentic is to be more than a box with a name on it. An authentic brand Demonstrates Purpose. Not so very long ago, authenticity was aided by linking what you do (make soup) with where you do it (Yorkshire). But the sands are shifting fast.

The second ‘prong’ is Meaningful Distinctiveness, where things become even more ‘touchy-feely’. Ehrenberg Bass have had a phenomenal impact on ‘marketing think’. Byron Sharp penned the end of functional differentiation in ‘How Brands Grow’. In a world cluttered with brands, the book recommends we embrace Meaningless Distinctiveness. Be bold, be visually different in a highly memorable way. Think Marmite. This is all well and good, but ask the Sensory Scientists at MMR and they’ll be quick to remind us that everything carries meaning. Our aim should be to develop packs and products that convey the right meaning, not just any old meaning! In reality, when consumers encounter brands, they are subconsciously processing its sensory construction. Every curve, aroma, texture and so on is cross referenced with a ‘conceptual cloud’ – a series of associations that kick in on contact. It’s why we think of babies when we smell Johnson’s Baby Lotion, and why we think of sandy beaches when we smell Nivea After Sun – even in our own bathroom.

Rather than being distinctive for the sake of it, the opportunity is there to take a sensory led approach on your next project. Explore how you can develop a more meaningful sensory profile, similar to Germolene who successfully communicate brand associations of ‘powerful’, ‘effective’ and ‘reassuring’ at a physical (product) level as well. Taking this further, sensory science can guide brands towards more distinctive and meaningful sensory signatures; Those that are unmistakable (and therefore even more memorable) operate on a deeper, emotional level. To activate Ehrenberg Bass, you NEED to be working at a sensory level.

The third and final ‘prong’ is Totally Truthful and reminds us of earlier coverage of Sunny D. To deliver, and earn your authenticity stripes, think beyond the obvious messaging and packaging cues (transparent windows anybody?) and work out if your product is delivering exactly against the expectations set by your marketing and packaging. If you launch a new chocolate bar with fanfare eliciting ‘luxurious’, ‘powerful’ and ‘sensual’, and your recipe delivers ‘comforting’, ‘traditional’, ‘warm’ and ‘sociable’, then no matter how liked the recipe was in product tests, it is not aligned with expectations. You’ve broken your promise. You’re not authentic.

My exploration of authenticity has taken many months and countless hypotheses, but I’m confident that the three elements outlined here pretty much sum up its dimensions. What struck me in the latter stages of this research was how much authenticity relies on the consumers’ sensory experience. In a post truth world - where objective facts are becoming less influential in shaping opinion than appeals to emotional and personal belief, attention paid to non-conscious sensory cues is becoming even more imperative.

Here are three things you can start doing to build authenticity: