THEANALYSIS

We don't take plastic

A reaction against the virtual, a means to lter choice overload, or a renewed need for the human various factors are combining to make authenticity the most desirable attribute for brands and products alike. M Astella Saw keeps it real
Branding by BREADCOLLECTIVEbreadcollective.co.uk Illustration by EMMALFSTRMemmalofstrom.se

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The US home furnishings chain Pottery Barn sells picture frames, bathroom ttings, beds, headboards and wellthought-out storage units. With a design ethos based on clean lines and unobjectionable good taste, it sells an aspirational lifestyle to middle-class Americans. Among various goods newly made in China, India and Indonesia, it has also begun to sell antique Hungarian pickling jars ($179) and wooden dough bowls ($249) originally used by Magyar bakers at farmhouses in Hungary and other Eastern European countries this latter accompanied by an online video demonstrating how customers might arrange seasonal blooms in the early 20th-century artefacts. That a shopping-mall stalwart known for a tongue-in-cheek mention in the 90s sitcom Friends is now selling what it calls history-heavy found objects points to a shift not only on the brands shop oor but also in consumers desire for products anointed with that most hallowed brand characteristic: authenticity. At a TED talk in 2004, author and brand consultant Joe Pine discussed what were then the beginnings of modern consumers search for the authentic. Authenticity is becoming the new consumer sensibility the buying criteria by which consumers are choosing who theyre going to buy from, and what theyre going to buy, he said. Nearly 10 years on, with authentic co ee and authentic underpants on our shelves, its time to reect on consumers evergrowing appetite for authenticity on the factors continually driving this desire, and on the ways in which our collective yearning for an authentic experience will develop. For consumers and producers alike, its time to get real.

FEELTHEREAL As our lives increasingly play out in the vast virtual world as we increasingly bank, shop for groceries, fund start-ups, exchange news, and share photos and videos with friends and strangers online the demand for something real has strengthened at an equal pace. The more we live in a virtual world, the more we crave reality, says David Boyle, author of The Age to Come: Authenticity, Postmodernism and How to Survive What Comes Next. Its not a simple trend in one direction: the longing for authenticity is strongest where virtuality has taken over the most. The increase in music and lm downloads has thus led to a parallel growth in the popularity of live concerts and imaginative movie screenings by the likes of Archipelago Cinema (a oating cinema in Yao Noi, Thailand), Future Cinema (a live cinema experience that takes place at extraordinary locations in the UK) and Bramley Baths Swim-Along Cinema in Leeds in the UK. The swelling volume of clothes, books, toys and countless other goods sold online has encouraged the creation of intriguing experiential retail environments to entice customers into stores. In other words, as fascinating as people nd online, on-screen developments, they also increasingly want to hear, to smell, to taste, to touch: they want something real. A lot of our work has a certain kind of life and spirit to it that connects people with something real. Most of our clients hire us to capture something authentic at its core, says Sarah Rhoads, half of husband-and-wife photography team We Are The Rhoads, whose diverse work for clients such as Ace Hotel and Sony o ers some of the most emotionally-infused sun-drenched, windswept, campre-lit, seawater-weathered depictions of what many people think of when they think of an authentic life. CREDIBILITYISKING Increasingly, too, in a crowded market ever more packed with new merchants, consumers equate authenticity with credibility, placing their trust in those brands that can prove their authentic credentials. We live in an age of abundance people have more choices in almost every category than they ever have before, says Dean Harris, director and founder of Sydney consultancy Brand Navigator, whose Authentic Brand Index measures the authentic equity of brands. Authenticity is a dening measuring stick are brands going to meet customers needs in a trusted way? It helps narrow choice.

A new sense of authenticity is emerging that goes way beyond the product itself. Artisanal, heritage goods are one strand but the new notion of authenticity goes beyond marketing to address the human elements of the whole brand

When British retailer Pedlars sells vintage Pepsi crates, kitschy 1940s calendar prints, old London bus blinds and midcentury boxes of nickel-plated paperclips made by French company Bohin, this is an appeal to authenticity. In Cape Town, the artisanal chocolaterie Honest its very name an earnest hint makes the same appeal with its raw cacao ethically sourced from Ecuador and its confections traditionally made by hand. American clothing company J. Crews In Good Company partnerships with likeminded (and historied) brands, such as Globe-Trotter luggage and Sperry Top-Sider boat shoes are a di erent take on the same appeal to authenticity: in this case, a brand surrounding itself with other companies that can help bolster its promotion of a particular authentic lifestyle. Many cultural commentators consider the move towards the authenticity school of thought was largely spearheaded by the Slow Food movement, so it is perhaps no surprise that notions of authenticity are widely examined in the culinary world. In Singapore, as concerns mount over increasing immigration, discussions about how to protect the countrys rich hawkerfood heritage a symbol of the authentic Singaporean way of life have gone all the way from pavement to parliament. In Copenhagen, Noma has thrice been voted the best restaurant in the world, in no small part because of its strict philosophy of using indigenous ingredients; Noma co-founder Claus Meyer this year opened a new restaurant in La Paz, Bolivia, to champion the authentic produce and cuisine of the South American nation. In the EU, Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) and Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) labels, similar to the French Appellation dorigine contrle (AOC) designation, promote traditional foods and protect them from imitations. PGIs and PDOs guarantee authenticity to consumers and help preserve traditional recipes, argues Matthew OCallaghan, chair of the UK Protected Food Names Association. Its not simply about ranking the tastiest pork pie: awarded the authenticity crown, British PGI and PDO products contribute 1bn to a UK economy hungry for honest food. The recent Europe-wide horsemeat scandal shone a new light on intricate international food supply lines and demonstrated the value in the refreshingly simple farm-to-fork ethos. As global supply chains become more tangled, the origin and contents of authentic products and brands can be traced and trusted. In France, for example, locally-grown and raised produce is newly popular again, says Clmence Martin, co-founder of Parisian

trends agency Le Nombril, thanks to its more easily traced supply chain. Organic produce is seen as more of a marketing thing now supermarkets may sell food labelled organic, but we dont know if its really organic. But local producers know their produce. Its a belief that has supported the growth of pick-your-own farms and local fruit- and vegetable-box services such as La Ruche qui dit Oui!. It is particularly pertinent that Martin mentions her suspicion of labelling for many sophisticated consumers wise to the ways of the marketing world, what a company does and what a company says are two distinct things. From a massmarket perspective, the interest people have in authenticity is a reaction against something that feels too commercial, says Michael Raisanen, co-founder of New York creative agency TIO. Its a reaction against feeling like a commodity yourself. Increasingly, then, people looking to break free of faceless consumerism are demanding that words and actions do meet in the place where authenticity resides. THEHUMANTOUCH A new sense of authenticity is emerging one that goes way beyond the product itself. Handcrafted, artisanal, heritage goods are one, much-lauded strand and Raisanen accepts that authenticity snobs will keep on hunting for more and more obscure, super-authentic jeans, handstitched by the last jeans maker in town. However, the new notion of authenticity goes beyond surface marketing to address the human elements of the whole brand. This is the heart of authenticity now: whether or not you can deliver something human, Boyle says. People are very sceptical about the whole notion of brands. He dismisses the notion that

consumers want relationships with the brands they buy. But, he notes, they do want the organisations they deal with to have some kind of heart. Thats what makes them authentic. Brands arent human. People know as much. But brands can represent something about the people running them, they can demonstrate an awareness of and a concern for basic human needs, and they can allow for in fact, they must encourage true customer engagement, online and o , down as many avenues as possible. Crucially, the most successful authentic brand, large or small, will have all this programmed into its DNA the most overused phrase in 21st century businessspeak right from the start. It is critical to understand the values and philosophy of the brand, and never waver from them, Harris says. [To be authentic] brands need to have a very clear sense of purpose from the start. You cant think, Ill come back to that later. Jeans company Hiut Denim, based in Cardigan, Wales, was surrounded by a sense of purpose even before the brand was created. When a local jeans factory closed down, it left behind three decades of accumulated denim know-how among a sizeable part of the towns population. Hiut founders Clare and David Hieatt are bringing manufacturing back to town, harnessing the skills of the existing denim experts (the Hieatts call them grand masters) to make an excellent pair of jeans. The company also makes savvy use of modern technology: each pair of jeans is sold with a HistoryTag that enables customers to put together the story of their jeans through photos uploaded to a website, showing where they went in them and what they did in them. We are here to make the best jeans we can, David Hieatt has said, not the most jeans we can.

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Truth will out: words that, in the face of Google search and click-to-share social media, have never been more prescient. As the appeal for authenticity becomes more urgent, companies that make themselves out to be something other than what they actually are only set themselves up for an eventual fall

painted on a wide column, kooky caf rules (No Mischief making; No Flirting with cashier) written in that particular brand of Indian English. It is a wellthought-out version of a 1930s Irani caf, but it remains a clear simulation and it is all the more charming for being so. Rather than regret the falsehood implied in its decoration there is no attempt at passing o customers and design fans rave about the place. It is an authentic experience, but delivered in a di erent way, Boyle says. Its like going to the theatre. What is most authentic in the case of Dishoom is the emotional intensity. You feel it is authentic because of the commitment of the people behind it, their attention to detail, the breadth of their imagination. Your interaction with what theyve conjured out of nothing is emotional. BECAUSEWEREWORTHIT Authenticity is the last marker of true worth in a world of smoke and pixelated mirrors, in a world where the chorus of brands and products shouting for consumers attention seems to grow ever more cacophonous. A mark of authenticity proves to a customer that a brand, product or service is worth looking into, worth buying, worth talking about, worth supporting. As a concept, authenticity is such a salient one that Point, the London-based group created to document and discuss design issues, organised its rst conference this spring to investigate the role authenticity has to play in designing new models of creation and production for the future and to explore the sociocultural shifts that will result. We are in the midst of a prolonged economic downturn life for businesses big and small in many sectors is really tough. This makes it particularly important to celebrate authenticity, says Points cofounder Georgia Fendley. History shows us that businesses brave enough to embrace authenticity and creativity even in the toughest of times end up winning in the long term. Thats because, she argues, authenticity true, unadorned authenticity isnt a trend. It doesnt depend on seasons or hemlines. It doesnt go out of fashion. Thats where a lot of brands still fail they dont realise its not a position that you can just assume, Raisanen adds. Its not about the copy being written a certain way, or the imagery appearing a certain way. In that TED talk, Joe Pine said, The experience economy is about rendering authenticity. Thats the key word: rendering. You have to get people to perceive your o erings as authentic.

TOSUMUP

In an increasingly crowded market place, consumers equate authenticity with credibility, placing their trust in brands that can prove their authentic credentials Brands can represent something about the people running them, they can demonstrate an awareness of and a concern for basic human needs, and they can encourage true customer engagement: the fundamentals of authenticity Authenticity cannot be bolted on it must exist at the core of the brand The ongoing quest for authenticity could transform behaviour and spending patterns, as socially conscious consumers switch their support to those brands that can demonstrate genuine honesty

In making a meaningful product meaning fully, Hiut Denim establishes itself as an authentic brand. The age of a brand, it seems, has little to do with it. Multinational co ee chain Starbucks seems an unlikely contender in the authentic brand stakes. But, Raisanen proposes, chief executive o cer Howard Schultzs strong personality the chief executive is famously unafraid of taking a stand is the companys strongest, most authentic asset. On a supercial level, Starbucks suggests that you can have a slice of Italian co ee culture in America, which is complete bullshit, because nobody in Italy drinks a triple caramel frapp in a paper cup, says Raisanen. In that sense, the brand hits the Epcot Center-level of fake authenticity. But I feel I know what the brand stands for. In 2011, frustrated with what he considered US politicians inability to move past bipartisan battles and put real change into action, Schultz called for a countrywide boycott on contributions to political campaigns. At the companys annual shareholder meeting in March 2013, Schultz unequivocally defended the Starbucks endorsement of homosexual marriage when a shareholder suggested that that decision was a ecting the companys stock value. On that level, the brand is an authentic one, Raisanen says. You feel his company stands for something. People will agree or disagree, but thats good: thats a genuine reaction. People are really tired of this culture of political correctness and received values.

THEMANYFACES These examples, one a small-scale independent brand, the other a global corporation, show authenticity in di erent guises. But in both examples, the notion of authenticity comes across in the way the companies address their customers. Hiut Denim tells a story, engages its audience, invites them to be part of a shared experience. Starbucks considers its customers to be thinking people who want to be part of a larger cultural conversation, and makes provocative statements that demand a reaction. It is this acute understanding of the importance of customer engagement the demonstration that they have what Boyle calls some kind of heart that makes them authentic by the new standard. Companies are increasingly trying to build an authentic way of dealing with customers, Boyle says. What people respond to is the e ort. An appeal to authenticity, he says, has to involve the basic purposes of the company. It has to involve the possibility of a human relationship, which will have to be between a customer and someone in the company, even if its just a eeting one over the telephone. Even in the case of pastiche what Joe Pine would have called the fake real in his analysis of brand authenticity nearly 10 years ago a company can prove itself authentic. In Shoreditch, London, the Indian restaurant Dishoom, established in 2012, was inspired by the cafs of 1930s Bombay. It has scu ed walls, sepia-toned ancestral portraits, rotating fans and,

He was, it seems a decade later, quite wrong. The key word is authenticity itself. Crucially, as people who are increasingly concerned about the ethical and sustainable performance of the brands they buy become increasingly adept at ferreting out the truth behind the brand bluster, companies would do well to ensure they are authentic through to their core. An authentic thing for a brand to say would be, We adhere to sustainable practices, Raisanen says. But is that consistent throughout your organisation your outsourcing practices, your subcontractors, your book-keeping? Whats happening at the back end? With the social media revolution, that stu is becoming transparent. Put otherwise: truth will out, as Shylocks miserable servant, Launcelot Gobbo, says in The Merchant of Venice words that, in the face of Google search and click-to-share social media, have never been more prescient. As the appeal for authenticity becomes more urgent, companies that make themselves out to be something other than what they actually are only set themselves up for an eventual

fall. Consider the outcry in Britain earlier this year when it was discovered that Harris and Hoole, a small, seemingly independent caf chain, was part-owned by supermarket giant Tesco. Our ongoing quest for authenticity, if successful, could have far-reaching e ects. In an authentic future, truth will be a guiding principle for business, Fendley says. The economy will be based on the true cost of goods, leading to profound shifts in our behaviour and spending patterns. Here, then, is the ideal authentic state: for brands, it will demand absolute honesty about how goods are sourced, produced and distributed; for consumers, it will mean steadfastly supporting that truth, through socially conscious consumption. And perhaps this is all the more important if we are to rewrite a resource-scarce future of environmental tumult and growing inequality. When your survival is at stake, Fendley says, authenticity is courageous heroic, even. Most surprisingly, it works.