Uh Oh! Your “Authenticity” is Showing: Brand trust at work

Tired of buzzword-laden PowerPoint decks? Synergistic approaches? Just imagine how your customers feel. Actually, you don’t need to imagine because you’re also someone’s target audience. That’s why you don’t remember or trust so much of the marketing you see. So if you want to cut through the clutter and, more importantly, your customers’ skepticism, beware the latest four-letter word in marketing. 

“Authenticity.” 

Before diving in, we want to clear something up. Authenticity isn’t bad; it’s actually the gold standard. “Authenticity” though, is terrible. It’s the pyrite leaving a green-tinged stain on audiences’ brains. It’s a lazy buzzword that’s rarely backed up by research or insights. “Authenticity” is ignoring who your audience really is and what they want, need and care about. That’s why everybody seems more skeptical than ever before. 

“Authenticity” erodes brand trust. Authenticity earns it. 

So how do you earn trust? How do you gain credibility? It all starts with deep research and shows up through deliberate communication and consistent action. But how do you speak authentically so people believe, engage and act? Here’s how we do it at Crux. 

Regaining Brand Trust and Building Credibility: A Primer 

1. Lead with Radical Transparency 
   Admit what you know and what you don’t. Vulnerability signals integrity and makes you relatable. After all, who trusts a know-it-all? 

2. Anchor Every Claim in Evidence 
   Facts matter. Use data, reputable sources and clear reasoning. Avoid jargon. Overly complex or obtusely worded claims make it sound like you’re hiding something. 

3. Listen Before You Speak 
   If you have a great product or service that solves someone’s problem, show that you actually care about their problem. It’s not leading with a negative; it’s leading with understanding. 

4. Be Consistent Everywhere 
   Obviously your tone and messaging should be consistent across platforms. The real challenge is making sure your actions and unscripted moments rise to the same bar. Inconsistency is the fastest way to lose credibility and brand trust. 

5. Tell Relatable Stories 
   Real examples resonate more than abstract promises. Share experiences that reveal your values, not just your victories. 

6. Invite Dialogue, Not Monologue 
   It all comes back to listening. You don’t stop listening when you’re ready to sell something. Encourage questions, feedback and even criticism—it shows confidence, not weakness. 

Real > Rules 

There is no one-size-fits-all rule to being authentic. Some say to avoid em-dashes to because AI uses them a lot, but guess what? Em-dashes have been around since the 15^th century. Some people treat best practices as immutable laws of nature that cannot be violated. But those same best practices also say that blogs should be around 1,500 words long. Do you want to read 1,000 more words of this? 

Wait, you do? Well if so, why not get in contact with us? We’d much rather have a conversation with you than just type into the void for the #metrics. That wouldn’t be very authentic now, would it? 

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