What is authentic…..about Authentic Imaging?

By: Mike Smith
Business Development Manager – Authentic Imaging
Authentic – adjective: not false or copied; genuine; real

Today, both advertising and apologies must be authentic.

They must be real and they must be genuine.

As time has gone on clients, customers and consumers are not easily fooled.  With the overwhelming use of rating systems, reviews and customer to customer interaction it is hard to bait and switch to sell a product or service.

As a full service digital marketing agency we pride ourselves on being authentic.  From the projects we work on to the employees that make the wheels turn, we are authentic. Fake is unattractive and to a consumer a complete turn off.

Making a difference in digital  marketing is only possible if a company refrains from using the “dangle the carrot of success” method to a consumer.  Authentic Imaging takes pride in knowing that all our products and services have no hidden curtains or fancy magic tricks.  We are not a large company, so the ease of customer communication and trust is vital.

We are all selling something, however the difference between just selling something to a customer and helping their business to grow are two completely different things.  Results are the fuel that forces us to be better for our customers…. From website analytics to walk in referrals the only way to view these kinds of results is to be authentic.

“To reduce the digital investment risk, we must prove with results.”  A lot of times when customers purchase a product or a service it may take days, months or even years for them to feel that their purchase was worthwhile.  Our goal at Authentic Imaging is to give each of our clients a feeling from day 1 that their investment in their company was worth it. The best way to accomplish this is by making the whole experience authentic. 

According to Geoff Beattie, Global Leader of Corporate Affairs, when people think of authentic companies, they think of: “A company that has values and morals and stands by them no matter what while honestly divulging its practices (flaws and all). In fact, the thing people most wanted was open and honest communications about products and services. And that finding was consistent around the world.” 

For a brand or a company to be considered authentic, it needs to be perceived as reliable, respectful, and real.

In March of 2018 an article published on Marketingland.com focused on the idea that many brands are striving for authenticity as audiences turn a skeptical eye towards many different forms of advertising.  “Consumers are experiencing a crisis of faith.   According to the Edelman Trust Barometer, today only 52 percent of global respondents trust businesses. The figures are even more dramatic in the US, where a mere 48 percent are similarly trusting, down from 58 percent in 2017.”  “For example, almost half of social media users have called out brands, 60 percent of whom did so because of perceived dishonesty, relative to a mere 45 percent who complained about a bad product experience, according to a Sprout Social analysis last year. While brands can regain some credibility with a sincere apology, messaging missteps can seriously affect brand loyalty, making consumers reluctant to share the brand with friends.”
– marketingland.com

So what does all this mean…..? To truly be authentic you must gain and regain customer trust.

“Thanks to the internet, consumers are savvier than ever before. They want companies to respect their intelligence and alleviate their anxiety about misinformation by presenting themselves honestly and consistently.” -Marketingland.com