by Miriam Hara | Feb 4, 2025 | Branding, Communications, Content, Creative, Marketing
The marketing space is totally immersed with buzzwords that seem to dominate the collective thinking for a few years and then eventually fade away. Over the past decade, “authentic” has been that word—a term so pervasive that its over use has now made it obsolete and un-authentic.
‘Authentic’ in Marketing
I can distinctly remember that I first came across the Authentic word, in 2015, while working on a re-branding project. I also distinctly remember thinking that if something is authentic, then why do we need state it? But that was just me, remembering one of the creative writers telling me that ‘ if we have to say we are cool, maybe we aren’t?’
All musing aside, pinpointing the exact moment when the marketing world collectively embraced “authentic” as the new buzzword is difficult. Suffice to say, the rise of ‘authentic’ coincides with emerging consumers‘ growing desire for genuine, transparent interactions with brands. Forbes cited in a 2017 article, that consumers didn’t just want a product; they wanted a story, a purpose, and a brand they could believe in.
The Emergence of the Generational Shift
Brand marketers recognized that the up and coming consumers, Millennials and Gen Z, valued transparency and honesty. This word encapsulated the direction and the winds of change of how brands needed to evolved to maintain relevance (another buzzword).This shift led to marketing strategies that showcased behind-the-scenes content, user-generated stories, and missions aligned with social causes. The term “authentic” became synonymous with trustworthiness and relatability.
The Word of the Year 2023
Authentic. I remember writing an article on Merriam-Webster declaring “authentic” as the Word of the Year in 2023. And not only an article, but vlogs as well. The dictionary noted a substantial increase in searches for the word, driven by discussions around AI, celebrity culture, identity, and social media. That same year, Harvard stated “rizz” was the word the year 2023, but that word never gained the notoriety of Authentic.
The Kill of the Buzz
As every brand jumped on the ‘authentic’ bandwagon, the term began to lose its impact. When “authentic” is used to describe everything, it starts to mean nothing. When the emerging consumers no longer are emerging, but becoming the generation with biggest consumer power, reflection and change is natural. As Millennials and Gen Z take leader ownership, questioning the sincerity behind brands’ claims of its ‘authentic state’ was bound to happen.
After all, actions always speak louder than words.
The very essence of being authentic—being true to one’s own personality, spirit, or character—was overshadowed by a promotional approach to appear genuine.
Beyond this Buzzword and the Next
So, what’s beyond this buzzword and the next? It’s to recognize that saying a word doesn’t it make it so. There’s work to do behind any word that becomes the next coined term. In reflecting over the last year, I do believe that there is a shift. Many brands have done the heavy lifting and are really embracing the actions that are synonymous with the concept of authentic. From sustainable packaging to embracing causes that reflect the values of consumers.
The Buzz Kill of Authentic
Although the word may have reached its saturation point in the marketing space, the principles it represents remain vital. It’s time to let go of the jargon and embrace the real essence of the next buzzword in practice, not just in jest. After all… if you are cool, do you need to say you are?
by Miriam Hara | Aug 13, 2024 | Advertising, Agency, Branding, Creative
Does your current brand visual campaign undermine your brand’s authenticity?
Brand visuals are the cornerstone of a brand’s identity.
It is my stance that you cannot build a brand visual campaign utilizing stock imagery, especially when they should depict your target audience. Stock images featuring a person(s) in brand visual campaigns undermine the uniqueness and ownership of a brand’s identity. As a brand-maker, that makes me shudder. Time and time again I have seen brand campaigns featuring photos of the intended target audience in one journal and consequently the exact same image utilized for another brand or service.
In the age of authenticity, utilizing stock imagery depicting a person as a main brand image in your campaign seems counterintuitive. How can you be authentic if you’re using a stock image that was created without any knowledge of your brand? I know that feels like a leap in thinking.
It’s perposterous to think that models hired to be photographed for the sole purpose of your brand’s position also use your brand…and that is a point well taken. But still, not enough to sway me! Regardless, a brand visual starts with a unique concept that articulates the brand positioning. A concept that is uniquely stated for the brand, and part of that concept is the brand visual. Hence, that very fact makes it erroneous to consider utilizing a stock image that your brand does not own one hundred percent.
Original photography is just for your brand
An Art Director or Creative Director tailors original photography to convey a specific message, embedding the brand’s values in every pose and facial nuance. Unique visuals help forge an emotional connection with your audience, building trust and loyalty, and creating a stronger coherent narrative. More importantly, it allows the photograph to be 100% what you need it to be. Many times, when utilizing stock imagery, there are hours of digital imaging required to make it just so – just right.
Planning can extend the duration of the Brand Visual
Original Photography also allows you to create your own library of images that provide you with the added value of utilizing images of the same person, strengthening the brand identity with every piece. This further cements the brand visual in the hearts and minds of consumers. Additionally, original photography can provide you with an array of options within the same concept for the brand visual extending the duration of the brand campaign.
I get budgets are real…and so they should be.
Budget constraints are a real issue, and duly noted. When launching a brand, budgets should include the development of original content. This content includes taglines, communications messaging, concept development, and brand visual development. Photography is a huge part of a brand’s content and should be factored in.
When to use stock imagery?
There is definitely value in utilizing stock imagery. For example, photos of landscape scenes, the universe, the moon, the stars, the oceans and the sky. I always implore my team to “make it the brand’s own” by digitalizing it, adding colour or a blend of filters that truly make it unique. It’s also good to use stock images for less critical content while reserving budget for custom visuals in key campaigns.
Lastly, I’ll ask you to chime in. I am sure you have seen an image in a brand campaign and noticed the same image used by a completely different brand? How did that make you feel about the originality and authenticity of those brands?
by Miriam Hara | Jul 18, 2024 | Branding, Marketing
Set the Bar High
When you’re in the business of creating brands the bar needs to be set high.That doesn’t mean that the brand should be high end. Creating a brand from the ground up is essentially comprised of many different “conscious marketing” decisions that are made. Those decisions are made regardless of the value of the brand…or rather the perceptual value of the brand. Whether you’re branding an economy line of products or an exclusive prestige line of products, a set of decisions need to be taken. We’ve all heard the saying it’s good enough. But is it really?
When adding in a layer of branding, good enough is never good enough. It just doesn’t cut it.
Those Not So Little Marketing Decisions
So what are these marketing decisions that need to happen. Well the first one, is identifying the market opportunity. Is there an opportunity to create a brand? Is there a need? We won’t get into whether it’s lucrative in this article. The premise today is to provide the context of creating brands, the decisions that make them a brand, and why every little nuance matters.
Next, key decisions need to be made about the brand identity and its core representation.This is no easy task and should be taken seriously. This includes what the brand’s mission, vision, values, and unique selling proposition are (USP). This takes us to the very next important decision; how and who do we define as our core target market? Who are the ideal customers? What are their demographics? At this stage, all types of decisions need to be made. Who are they? Where do they live? What do they do? What are their psychographics, needs, and preferences? Where to they go? To provide context, an economy line of household products might target budget-conscious families, while a prestige skincare line might target affluent, health-conscious consumers.
How Does Your Brand Walk the Talk?
This process involves creating essential brand identity assets, such as a brand position and key messaging, and then integrating all these decisions to develop a cohesive brand persona. What is your brand’s tone, style and social voice? And let’s not forget the brand logo and colours.
None of these elements when creating brands should be taken lightly or at face value. In today’s speed of business, and in the world of social communications last only for a nano second. It’s easy not to consider the implications of ‘just doing it’. To take leaps instead of steps, it’s easy to say it’s good enough. I’m here to implore you not to!
By meticulously making each of these decisions, you will ensure that your brand is not just good enough, but exceptional; and that’s how you resonate deeply with your target audience and stand the test of time.
by Miriam Hara | Jun 18, 2024 | Advertising, Branding, Business Success, Marketing
Timing is everything…especially when it comes to marketing tactics. Whether you’re launching a new brand or executing a plan for an existing one, timing is critical to the success of any initiative, regardless of where the brand is in its product life cycle. As marketers we are all about being on-trend and staying slightly ahead of the curve. It’s our nature not to look in the rearview mirror. We tend to look at the open road and the endless possibilities of what lies ahead.
That said, any marketer or brand manager will concur when I say that history is something to review. It’s always important to know how past marketing tactics and programs have fared. Why wouldn’t we, especially given the wealth of data available to us? Unfortunately, many times, when a past tactic has not performed well, it is often disregarded.
I’ve often heard “Oh, we’ve done this in the past and it hasn’t worked” during the course of brainstorming sessions, or marketing meetings.
KPIs are everything… or are they?
It’s very easy to dismiss a tactic or initiative because it poorly performed. However, sometimes the second time around is a charm. When assessing or evaluating a tactical program, you should base it on pre-determined KPIs. However, consider other factors that may have prevented the KPIs from being met, and carefully assess these factors before permanently discarding any past marketing tactics.
Although there are many elements to consider when evaluating any tactic.. here are the top three:
- Timing is everything…and needs to be evaluated in different ways.
a)Was the timing optimal for our audience/target market? As an agency developing programs, there are often delays out of anyone’s control. This begs the question: “Should we delay to a more appropriate time?”
b) Is this the right time to launch this type of marketing tactic in view of the brand’s journey? Is it too soon for such a tactic to even be considered?
- Are all the ducks in a row? In other words, was there a glitch in terms of the execution. This can take many forms. Did all the communications go out seamlessly and in a timely fashion? Werethe communications clear and accurate, or did they lead to confusion?
- Was the launch tentative? Was the necessary ‘hype’ or groundwork put in place to optimize the performance of the marketing tactic? Did we allocate enough budget to the initiative to ensure it garnered the attention of our target audience?
Second Time’s a Charm
Don’t be too quick to disregard the tactics of the past. It may surprise you when the second-go does perform to the KPIs. Suffice to say, it’s always good to revisit the past to see tactics that may have been ill-timed for the brand’s journey or for the target audience. Dusted off and refreshed, a ‘been there, done that’ tactic may pleasantly surprise you!
by Miriam Hara | Jun 4, 2024 | Branding, Design, Marketing
What is functional branding?
You’ve heard of functional art. It’s where art meets practicality without giving up on its artistic value. In essence it’s the delicate balance of form and function. Functional branding follows the same line of thinking. It’s where branding meets the science of functionality. Functional Branding is a discipline where a brand’s raison d’être is based on solving the problems of its consumers, eloquently.
Succinctly stated, it’s where brands fulfill a practical consumer need, while crafting a compelling narrative that is anchored in the products real world benefits and attributes. By seamlessly integrating the features of the brand with every communication touchpoint, brands can deliver satisfying consumer experiences that appeal to consumers emotively, fostering loyalty. It involves aligning the brand’s identity, values, and communications with the functional benefits its products or services offer.
In functional branding, the focus is on the practical benefits and utility of the products, while in image branding, the focus is more on the emotional or symbolic attributes a brand represents.
Strengthening brand image
While functional branding is inherently focused on practical benefits, it can deepen the brand’s overall image. By building a reputation for reliability, efficacy, and quality, brand image can flourish. In fact, functional branding is a foundational layer that supports and enhances a brand’s overall image. It makes the brand’s promises concrete and verifies them through functionality.
Patagonia and IKEA: Two highly functional brands
Patagonia has a strong brand image centered around environmental sustainability, ethical sourcing, and activism. These transcended and evolved from the basic Patagonia offering that emphasizes the functionality of its products. Their clothing and gear are designed to be durable, high-performing, and suitable for extreme outdoor activities. From the very beginning the, Panagonia brand always focused on the technical aspects of their products, which were are functional benefits for their target market of outdoor enthusiasts.
IKEA is another excellent example of how brand image and functional branding work together to create a cohesive brand experience that resonates with customers. They’re not just selling furniture; they’re selling the idea of smart living, where style and functionality are available to everyone, regardless of budget. Needless to say, IKEA focuses heavily on the practical benefits of its products and the ease of which they are assembled. IKEA maintains a strong connection between its brand image and the functional attributes of its products, creating a distinctive market position that appeals to consumers’ desire for style, functionality, and value.
These are only 2 of the many brands that offer consumers a deeper connection by being functional brands. From Zippo lighters to Apple to Nike. What’s your favourite functional brand and why? Please let share them here.
The marketing space is totally immersed with buzzwords that seem to dominate the collective thinking for a few years and then eventually fade away. Over the past decade, “authentic” has been that word—a term so pervasive that its over use has now made it obsolete and un-authentic.