As potential customers wade through the overflow of pitches in today’s marketplace, your competitors fight even harder to stand out from the rest. Buyers are bombarded with a plethora of messages via print and social media in a seemingly endless stream of choices. To make your brand a contender, tap into the increasingly prevalent consumer value of authenticity. Millennials, the post-Generation-X cohort who are now a powerful consumer force, rank trust and authenticity high on the list of scrutinized factors when making brand choices, and are cynical about marketing. A study spanning 12 global markets conducted by Cohn & Wolfe revealed a statistical preference for honest communication from companies (91 percent) over product or service desirability (60 percent). Millennials are not the only skeptical group: a 2014 Gallup survey of American adults showed that only 10 percent of respondents felt that advertising ethics were high. It’s no longer good enough to have the catchiest slogan or best advertising strategy without trustworthiness as part of the package. Not only are customers more trust-focused than ever, but they also have the ability to spot hard-sell marketing and social media content. They are spam savvy and suspicious of one-directional sales pitches. They are looking for more than just contributing to your bottom line. Instead, they respond to corporate purpose and integrity, and a sense of mutual benefit that arises when businesses protect their customers in areas such as safety and privacy. In addition to product or service expertise, transparency, customer service and consistency…
Read More: Authenticity in Marketing and Its Importance in the Channel
