Authenticity and Design in Recovery

September 10, 2009

People’s search for authenticity in who a company says they are and how they do what they do, has necessarily grown in the economic crisis of the last year. Institutions people have trusted either no longer exist or cannot or did not deliver on their brand promise. The explosion of social media too, has stemmed to a degree from people’s search for authenticity and a need for connection and belonging.

For instance, the non-profit sector is, like all of us, wanting and needing to do more with the dollars they have. But do your patrons, donors and clientele know what you do? Cynthia Round, Executive Vice President of Brand Strategy & Marketing for United Way that “People make decisions about buying products for lots of reasons, but the decision to invest in a charity is made 100 percent on faith and how much trust there is in the organization.” ( from Why Should Non-profits invest in Brand? by Mary Weisnewski). Your brand experience tells potential donors and volunteers what they cannot learn on their own and weighs heavily in their decision to contribute time and /or money. Its authenticity in terms of reflecting your mission is critical.

This search for authenticity in both personal and business contexts is driving much of the social media bus. This dichotomy of the personal authenticity search and the needs and pressures of business, puts a particular strain on social media’s messaging. David Baker of Recourses writes an interesting article on doing social media well in terms of authenticity and ROI. We as marketers would do well to balance our enthusiasm with his thoughts.

As we peek around the door of economic recovery, it’s exciting to think on the possibilities that a renewed sense of “real” can bring to design in any of its forms, from a better client understanding of branding from the inside out, to offering design solutions that truly solve problems. Honesty in design and communications will be more important now than it ever has been in ensuring customer understanding, loyalty and engagement with your brand.