Authenticity is one of the leading factors in how customers and consumers decide who they want to do business with.
Brands around the world are facing the challenge of how to show authenticity to consumers in business. Meaning, purpose, and honesty matter much more than just another cool solution. Geez – I feel like I’m back in my intro to PR lecture...
Consumer behavior is evolving from what used to be strictly business deals motivated by pricing, risk factors, and ROI. Those factors are still just as important, but many decisions are being made with emotive motivation in today’s market.
Today’s world is fueled by the feeling of connection and a simple “do good”, and brands that help make these connections are viewed as authentic. This view is what establishes the emotional connection that a user has with a product. From strict business deals to consumers demanding more purpose out of businesses, consumers will always have the upper hand.
“Authenticity is the degree to which a person's actions consistently connect with their values and their desires.” Gina London, TEDx, 2022
So, how do you measure the authenticity of a brand, business, or product? The answer can be found in two factors: transparency and sincerity.
Transparency is important because consumers want to know their money is not being wasted and is benefitting some sort of greater good. At the same time, people want to do business with sincere partners. The credulous trust is what fuels customer retention and drives new business. People admire those whom they perceive to be doing good for the world and for their consumers.
How do we establish this perception of authenticity in the tech industry? A big portion of it comes down to the mission of your brand. Do you do what you do to get rich? Or do you focus your business around creating technology that people need and can easily access? It’s easy for customers to see that motivation, believe it or not.
Developers, engineers, and tech-ys will always continue to push the envelope of new tech in homes. As it's been a long battle of creating comfortability around technology in homes, authenticity will always help. Better trust in a business means better trust to purchase.
As we, technology creators, continue to build new and improved systems and solutions, it will always be important to remove ourselves from the drive of ‘BRAND NEW’ and keep the ‘why’ at the forefront of new decisions. When your mission for new technology is to bring honest value to each and every user, that is when you begin to fill a gap of need for consumers. What need are you filling by putting this product on the market? That’s where the emotional connection between product and consumer is born.
At Quext, we bring up the idea of closing the digital divide. When you create solutions that are meant to stretch the boundaries of class A properties to C properties and beyond, you begin to create an even playing field of who deserves access to technology in a home. Hint hint, the answer is everyone.
All in all, authenticity, transparency, honesty, and sincerity is where businesses make a difference in bridging the gap between consumer and owner, creating a community.
