Get Real!
In the last 30 days, every time I open a publication I seemto see a reference to the trend toward “authenticity.” It is one of Adweek’s “Six Trends You Should Know” with Dove’s advertisingcampaign as a key example. In a WallStreet Journal’s commentary, “The Authenticity Thing,”Daniel Henninger queried, “Who’d have thought that the presidential accessorythat would prove most popular in this election would be authenticity?” In the most recent issue of Marketing Management, the cover story is “Keep it Real: Learn tounderstand, manage and excel at rendering authenticity.”
We don’t think this is a new trend. What we’ve consistently seenover the years is the critical importance of establishing third-partycredibility or “authenticity,” especially when launching a new product. Ingeneral, people don’t trust what you say about yourself. In the “2008 EdelmanTrust Barometer” report,corporate or product advertising was ranked near the bottom of credible sourcesof information.
So, if you want to be authentic, who does your audiencetrust? According to the Edelman report, the most trusted spokespeople are peers(“a person like yourself”), financial and industry analysts, and academics.Least credible sources were bloggers and company CEOs.
Among sources of information, articles in businessmagazines, stock or industry analyst reports, television news coverage,articles in newspapers and conversations with your friends and peers rose tothe top as most credible. Least credible were blogs, social networking sites,and web-based video-sharing sites.
Based on all of this, we recommend that you spend your timecultivating those that can really make an impact:
- key opinion leaders with characteristics similar to your target audience
- top analysts that focus on your industry
- major academic professionals working in your product’s field
- journalists that cover your product’s category at key publications
