The Age Of Authentic Personal Branding

Is this the age of authentic Personal Branding?
A superstar shocked the world at the 2015 Oscars and it wasn’t because they did something scandalous.

It was because they proved they had something naturally astonishing.
Lady Gaga performed an incredible tribute to the Sound Of Music and with almost zero dramatic effect she stole the show.

She wasn’t wearing meat or some other outrageous outfit, her hair style was relaxed and her pale dress was untypical, old fashioned glamour. She simply demonstrated her extraordinary voice and it blew everyone away.

Lady Gaga was the talk of the entire event. Who knew, beneath all that make believe she could actually, really sing!

And she’s not the only ‘out there’ performer who’s personal brand has benefited from a more authentic approach.

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A young star who loves to shock (in fact you could argue her personal brand of today is entirely the opposite of her original brand which she obviously wants to shrug off) is Miley Cyrus.

Known for her tongue, tweaking and tattoos, not to mention outfits that border on total nudity, here is another immeasurable talent that seems to have had a brand that got in the way of her natural talent.

Just take a look at the beautifully produced Backyard Sessions to see how well she can sing. Her open, relaxed and unadulterated voice shines through each of the sets, leaving your jaw dropping at how good she really is.

Who would have thought!

It is interesting to see consumers reactions and how the level of trust and likability increases when personal branding delivers an honest, unfettered message.

Consumers today want to know the origins, beliefs and core values behind the brands they purchase and they simply ask ‘Aunty Google’ to find out what’s really going on.

Of course not everything you see on the internet is true (according to Abraham Lincoln) but that does not stop large numbers of people deciding to boycott products that are sold as something they are not, just because someone on Facebook said so.

Big brands are starting to take notice and develop more authentic channels. McDonalds took a huge as processed food looks edible but is in reality far from it fell out of fashion, but now they seem to have rebounded.

Consumers say they like the new “Un-McDonalds’ approach from the global burger chain, with the Create Your Taste campaign receiving positive comments and visitors returning to the stores who haven’t been to McDonalds in years.

It’s quite ironic really when we know this is simply McDonalds packaging their processed product into something that looks more authentic, but seems to be winning over customers.

What McDonalds have done is given people choice, making the purchase behaviour seem more authentic.

But does honest work?

My all time favourite authentic brand is Whittakers Chocolate with the magical tagline, Good Honest Chocolate Since 1896. Now there is a brand built on authenticity.

And Ben & Jerry’s Ice cream, a brand built on sustainability and social justice.

Of course, not all brands will be prepared to go natural and will continue to bear the brunt of consumer backlash, or at least become the next victim to the creative talent of designer Clif Dickens (If you haven’t heard of his honest advertising slogans, so funny because they say what we are all really thinking, just google him). http://honestslogans. com/

Are we entering a new realm where authentic personal branding is replacing over the top, out-there, try hard cover-up promotion and activity which seems to have become the norm in the past decade?

Is it time consumers said “hell yeah”, I want to know who you are, what you do, how you do it and where it all came from before I buy from you?

I’m not sure. Funny thing is, the human brain is attracted by hype, it can’t turn away from carnage, even if it happens to be a car wreak wearing next to nothing, gyrating up against Robin Thicke with a giant finger between it’s legs…

I am however now considering buying Mileys music, because I now know she can actually sing.

And that seems to make her personal branding something I like just a little bit more.

We'd love to hear what you think about the Authentic Personal Branding of superstars and big name companies. 
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