Brand authenticity

Last week, I had the pleasure of hosting Thought Leaders Connected, an interactive discussion forum that brings together the members of all of our Councils to explore a current topic. What makes the session unique is that it’s essentially a hackathon where participants articulate trends, challenges and best practices based on their experience in nine different marketing specialities and verticals: B2B, brand, CX, creativity, martech, media, insights, NFP and sponsorship.

This time, our topic was brand authenticity. I led things off with a personal story. To me, brand is about personification. That is where we always need to start, because we are trying to reach people.

Just a few of the many other great insights that came out of the discussion include:

• Being authentic is about asking the right questions, including about what you know and believe. Building purpose takes time and requires investment, and it’s important to learn and adjust as you go.
• Companies need to define their brand and their values, and then hire people who live those values. There are gaps between how companies build their culture and how they market themselves.
• AI, machine learning and other technologies have great potential for innovation and efficiency, but they must be used in good and ethical ways.

Watch as we release snippets from the conversation on social media during National Marketing Week (November 15-19).

If you’re interested in learning more about our Councils and reading some of their outstanding thought leadership, click here.