Is Persuasion An Outdated Concept For Brands?

Branding Strategy Insider helps marketing oriented leaders and professionals like you build strong brands. BSI readers know, we regularly answer questions from marketers everywhere. Today we hear from Kim, a VP of Marketing in Chicago, Illinois who asks this on brands, persuasion and authenticity…

Authenticity is the rule of the day — does that make persuasion an outdated concept? (It seems to still be alive for brands.)

Thanks for your question Kim. Yes, the Internet and other global communications vehicles have substantially increased the speed with which any action becomes known worldwide. In this environment, brands have to be authentic and transparent. If they are not, any lack of integrity will become known very quickly and will work against them. If a brand fails to deliver on its promise, that news can spread almost instantaneously via social media, the news, product review websites and other forums.

Also, the average consumer is becoming increasingly savvy about how marketers attempt to persuade and manipulate his or her attitudes and behaviors. Having said this, brands still are able to persuade people. The best current example of this is the US presidential nomination process. If you agree with me that political parties are brands, as are individual candidates within those parties (certainly Donald Trump thinks so), then consider this example. Candidates have said things that have been proven to be false but yet have motivated their supporters by fanning fears, playing on prejudices and otherwise hooking those supporters emotionally.

Should we condone false brand claims? No. But does all persuasion need to be underhanded and false? Again, no. I do not think these two things (authenticity and persuasion) are of necessity mutually exclusive.

Interestingly, the reason Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders each have such strong support is because they are both believed to be straight shooters, that is authentic, as opposed to the other “career politicians” who are perceived to be scripted based on the latest poll data.

Is Patagonia an authentic brand based on authentic values embraced by its leaders and employees? Yes. Is it able to persuade people to buy its products? Again, yes. Often by saying to people in its ads “Don’t buy this jacket.” I think this advertising message is sincere, calculated and brilliant. (Ok, maybe your cynical side really doesn’t buy into the sincere part, but having heard founder Yvon Chouinard and current CEO Rose Marcario speak, I believe it is.)

I would make the same argument for Elon Musk and Tesla Motors. To be authentic and sincere and marketing savvy and brilliant and calculating is not an incongruent combination. And, if you are all of these things, you are surely persuasive.

In the end, marketing is all about persuading people to do something, usually to buy more products. So I would close by saying that brands need to be both authentic and persuasive. Having said that, I am reminded of a very interesting quote: “Just because you are certain about something doesn’t mean you are right about it.” So there can be brands that are authentic and persuasive but in the end may be proven to be wrong. Going back to politics as an example, MSNBC and Fox News are both passionate in their views and they both attract passionate supporters, however given their often diametrically opposing views on things, they can’t both be right on every issue. Whether they are both authentic is another matter. Do you think the networks that support them and all of their news anchors and reporters sincerely share the views of those channels? Possibly.

Kim, hopefully this has helped you explore the concept of authenticity versus persuasion from another angle.

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