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May 22, 2007

Radio Advertising and Authenticity: Getting Real

Authenticity is one of my favorite topics. It's a pure joy to work on a radio campaign that effuses authenticity.

For one thing, they work.

One reason they work is because the ads are different (see our post on this topic here). Just like every successful pop singer has a unique sound even when they sing the same song. Just watch American Idol to grasp this valuable insight.

Another reason authenticity works is because it's inspiring. Moving. We covered this concept rather well in this post a while back and then in a follow-up post here.

Even writing a blog post about authenticity is a joy.

I wonder if Bill Breen feels the same way. He recently published an article in Fast Company magazine on the topic of authenticity titled "Who Do You Love: The Appeal and Risks of Authenticity". My thanks to Mark Ramsey for pointing out this article.

"And therein lies an authentic paradox: A brand doesn't feel real when it overtly tries to make itself real. To the hypertargeted consumer, baldly billboarding a brand's message smacks of insincerity."

Paradoxes are always interesting. Mr. Breen has written a fascinating and thorough article on authenticity. There are trappings, it turns out, in being authentic. And there is, as always, the sandtrap of manipulated authenticity - real or perceived.

"What's authentic is not always real, and what's real is not always what it seems."

Shaky ground, for sure, but figuring authenticity out and doing it right... "priceless" (yes, that's inauthentic knockoff of Visa to make a point).

"It's not that Starbucks, Cold Stone Creamery, BMW, Nike, or any other brand is really, really real. What's real are the experiences and the connections that the brands allow us to make--if they give us an honest chance."

Category(s): creative
Posted by Brett Astor at 10:01 AM | Permalink