Modernity requires authenticity with proof.
Interrogating the ROI of Authenticity
Welcome to the age of faux.
In our AI-art, deep fake storytelling, “like” connectivity, ChatGPT (‘chat’ is that most common human form of conversation now coopted by un-real intelligence), LinkedIn gratitude, multiverse-fetishized culture, authenticity is a product to be consumed. It is manufactured to appear real, a pastiche, a fake pilot, - a copy of something that does not have an original. It’s metic is volume and frequency.
Thirteen years ago I shared a precursor to this observation during a TEDx talk - The Lost Art of Authenticating Real. (Sweater vest were very, very “in” - trust me.) I still think this is true, likely more true, but I want to advance the concept of authenticity a bit.
Here’s my thesis for this iteration:
I believe that Authenticity can be audited like financials, safety and employee retention.
I think that Authenticity can be measured.
I know that Authenticity as a financial ROI.
I’m in the process of proving it.
The timing for this project is being expedited by the trends of the changing of our political system. As a new administration transitions in, the sustainability-related actions are being edited and dialed down in real-time. From Walmart dumping their DEI program (if it’s woke it’s broke) to Coca-Cola adjusting its already too low impact goals, and so on. Not you Costco.
What all of these programmatic moves have in common besides cowardice is that they were never authentic to the organization that once bragged about them in their sustainability reports and recruitment brochures. They wasted time and resources (negative ROI).
Photo by Alex kristanas on Unsplash
There are two approaches that I know of.
1. Know what is authentic to your organization and develop strategies that prove it.
2. Generate strategies that are beneficial, then alter the culture to support those strategies.
Both of these strategies work, one is less expensive than the other (faster ROI).
Nearly 20 year ago, I was working on a project for a major brand. I think it might have been Clif Bar, but decades are long and I am old. What did stick with me was their approach to sustainability marketing: “We want to get caught doing good.” That statement led me to write More Than Promote: A Monkeywrencher’s Guide to Authentic Marketing where I chronicled promotional activities that did good through the act of the promotion itself. Tide’s Loads of Hope Community Program was an example where the detergent company showed up in towns hit hard by natural disasters and simply did laundry for people. Getting caught is authentic.
Other clients have reached out to help course-correct their culture after then have announced new sustainability initiatives. The sales team at Interface famously talked behind Ray Anderson’s back about what a bad idea sustainability was for the business - ‘no one is asking for it.’ I have helped dozens of companies with employee engagement and those that come from a place of authenticity always get there faster.