It’s kind of a woolly term, isn’t it, authenticity? No doubt it means slightly different things to different people. But broadly speaking, authenticity is about trust. And, these days, trust matters. As consumer surveys demonstrate, we seem to be getting more skeptical – not just of organizations, but also the media, governments, and other institutions.

1. WHY AUTHENTICITY MATTERS AND
EVERY ORGANIZATION AND BUSINESS
LEADER MUST KEEP IT REAL

2. © 2021 Bernard Marr, Bernard Marr & Co. All rights reserved
It’s kind of a woolly term, isn’t it, authenticity? No doubt it means slightly different
things to different people. But broadly speaking, authenticity is about trust. And, these
days, trust matters. As consumer surveys demonstrate, we seem to be getting more
skeptical – not just of organizations, but also the media, governments, and other
institutions. In this skeptical environment, brands that have a reputation for being
genuine immediately differentiate themselves from the pack. So it's no surprise that 86
percent of consumers across the US, UK, and Australia feel authenticity is a key factor
when deciding what brands to support.
WHY AUTHENTICITY MATTERS AND EVERY
ORGANIZATION AND BUSINESS LEADER MUST
KEEP IT REAL

3. © 2021 Bernard Marr, Bernard Marr & Co. All rights reserved
What makes a business authentic?
We can answer this question by thinking about the qualities that inspire trust. For me, the
following attributes spark trust in a brand:
 Reliability – I want to know I can count on a brand and its products. So products with a
built-in obsolescence, or companies that provide a less-than-great service are unlikely to
earn my trust. Reliability also entails being a consistently authentic business. In other
words, authenticity isn’t a buzzword to focus on for the next year.
 Respectfulness – by which I mean respect for people (including those involved in the
making of products), cultures, and, crucially, our environment. This ties in with other key
business trends such as sustainable operations and conscious consumption.

4. © 2021 Bernard Marr, Bernard Marr & Co. All rights reserved
 Realness – authentic brands talk to me like a human being. The corporate guard is dropped,
in other words. And this allows vulnerability and humility to shine through – meaning
brands are able to ‘fess up to their shortcomings and mistakes. This willingness to show that
everything isn’t perfect really helps to build trust. It shows the brand isn’t trying to pull the
over my eyes (which, as the overall decline in trust shows, is something that many people
suspect is happening).
 Transparency – corporate transparency means being open and straight-up with customers,
employees, and even competitors. So it’s no surprise that the most trusted, authentic
companies in the world are transparent in the way that they operate. They have transparent
values and processes. They’re also open about technology and how they use it.
 Taking a stance – as a conscious consumer, I want brands to believe in the same things I do.
Authentic brands, then, often take a stance on issues – such as calling out racism or
the climate crisis. In line with this, business leaders are also increasingly expected to stand up
for their beliefs (more on this coming up).

5. © 2021 Bernard Marr, Bernard Marr & Co. All rights reserved
AUTHENTICITY IN ACTION
There are many brands out there that successfully embody these qualities and inspire
trust – brands like The Body Shop, Patagonia, and Toms. But let’s delve into one brand
in particular.
Buffer is a social media management tool that, while it may not be a household name,
does have a strong reputation for transparency among its fans. Indeed, transparency
has been baked into the business from its early days, with “default to transparency”
being one of the company’s core values. Buffer even has a page on its website
dedicated to transparency. Take a look, and you'll see the many ways in which Buffer
promotes transparency both internally and externally. For example, the company
publishes salaries, its salary calculator, revenue dashboard, and internal metrics online.
It's actually really refreshing to see so much of a company laid bare.

6. © 2021 Bernard Marr, Bernard Marr & Co. All rights reserved
Authentic organizations need authentic leaders. And just as with brands, authentic
leaders are those that connect with people on a human level, are transparent, and
build trust. As a result, authentic leaders inspire loyalty in both employees and
customers.
Some of the attributes frequently associated with authentic leaders include:
 Leading with empathy – the best leaders lead from the heart, meaning they
recognize and respond to the humanness in others.
 Being honest – authentic leaders are honest, open, and transparent. And they’re
they’re comfortable discussing failures and mistakes, as well as successes.
AUTHENTIC LEADERS

7. © 2021 Bernard Marr, Bernard Marr & Co. All rights reserved
 Having a strong ethical and moral compass – they have strong values and are
not afraid to publicly stand up for those values.
 Being self-aware – authentic leaders are well aware of their weaknesses as well
as their strengths and openly share those weaknesses. As part of this, they
on their actions, decisions, and experiences – both good and bad – and learn
from them.
 Bringing your whole self to work – previously, leaders might have different
personas – one for work and one for outside of work. But in today’s age, it’s
important to bring your “whole self” to work. Therefore, the public persona of
authentic leader reflects who they really are in private.

8. © 2021 Bernard Marr, Bernard Marr & Co. All rights reserved
For me, that last attribute is key to being an authentic leader. That’s why you’ll often see
authentic leaders using social media to show who they are and what’s important to them. To put
it another way, building an authentic digital footprint is now an essential way to connect with
customers and employees alike. It's a stark difference from the leaders of old, who might have
relied on corporate comms to speak for them.
Dan Schulman, CEO of PayPal, is a great example of a leader using social media to highlight
issues and support social causes. He has used his platforms to post about Black Lives Matter –
and, importantly, followed up his words with action (PayPal later pledged $530 million to
support black-owned businesses). Another example comes from Michele Romanow, co-founder,
and president of fintech lending firm Clearbanc. Romanow posts compelling educational videos
on Instagram about entrepreneurship and leadership, and during the pandemic, Romanow
urged people to stay home and used her platform to raise awareness of fake news.

9. © 2021 Bernard Marr, Bernard Marr & Co. All rights reserved
Bottom line, in this era of declining trust, authenticity is a way for
businesses and leaders to differentiate themselves. It’s a way to build
meaningful, lasting connections with audiences and employees alike.

10. © 2021 Bernard Marr, Bernard Marr & Co. All rights reserved
Read more about these and other future trends in my book, Business Trends in
Practice: The 25+ Trends That are Redefining Organizations, which has just been
awarded Business Book of the Year 2022.
Also, make sure to subscribe to my newsletter and follow me on Twitter, LinkedIn,
and YouTube.

11. © 2021 Bernard Marr , Bernard Marr & Co. All rights reserved
Bernard Marr is an internationally best-selling author, popular keynote speaker,
futurist, and a strategic business & technology advisor to governments and
companies. He helps organisations improve their business performance, use data
more intelligently, and understand the implications of new technologies such as
artificial intelligence, big data, blockchains, and the Internet of Things.
LinkedIn has ranked Bernard as one of the world’s top 5 business influencers. He is
a frequent contributor to the World Economic Forum and writes a regular column for
Forbes. Every day Bernard actively engages his 1.5 million social media followers
and shares content that reaches millions of readers.

12. hello@bernardmarr.com
www.bernardmarr.com