The (brand) value of authenticity
14 March 2024
No longer are we B2B, we’re B2H… business to human. In fact, let’s take it a step further. We’re humans talking to other humans (at least for now).
In a market where firms struggle to differentiate – showing the human side of your organisation isn't just a nice-to-have; it's a game-changer. If you think about it – can a person feel truly connected to an organisation if they feel like they are being spoken to from a PR script or by a robot?
Connect with words
Authenticity is the secret ingredient that transforms a company from a faceless entity to someone you can relate to or trusted advisor. When organisations ditch the corporate speak and opt for a genuine, conversational tone, it's like a breath of fresh air. People want to engage with real stories and real voices, not carefully curated corporate waffle.
Being human is about creating a connection. Imagine having a chat with a colleague over coffee and telling them that you’ve fostered a collaborative relationship with your neighbour and you’re leveraging your synergies to repair the broken fence. Or what about that friend who just talks about themselves and what they’re good at. It feels like they barely know you or care about you at all.
The same goes for businesses. When we sound real and authentic, we invite our audience into a more approachable open conversation. We make them feel heard and understood and with that we start to earn their trust and build the connection.
"Living RatingsTM: 52% of law firms have brand values on their website"
Distinctiveness is the new differentiation
‘Being human’ isn’t just about adopting a warm tone of voice and peppering your website with photos of smiling employees. Although these do help tell your story and bring your brand personality to life, what helps to shape a distinctive personality are your values – your North Star guiding every decision, action, or day-to-day interaction.
Brand values form part of your firm’s DNA – it’s what your clients buy into as well also your products and services. They are not there just to look good on the wall of your office or your website, they are there to sprinkle the magic on what you do, and for clients it means they can truly see what makes you different.
Embedding them across your organisation means socialising and operationalising your values and demonstrating to the world, and even celebrating, how you’ve done it – proving that they live deep within your organisation. That could be through client work – case studies that showcases your expertise and how your teams come together in a way that made it different or special for your clients – it’s not just about ‘what’ you delivered for them, but ‘how’.
"Living RatingsTM: Only 11% of asset managers have case studies on their website."
How do the values live in your day-to-day work and the culture of the organisation? How do you bring to life those stories in your careers pages? Can we hear it in the words of the people who work there through your more human social channels, like Instagram and TikTok? Is it time to let the humans take over again?
If your firm’s personality isn’t shining as bright as it should – we’d like to help it radiate. Contact emma.baker@Living-group.com to talk more – human to human.
Living Group is the author of Living RatingsTM, the annual research reports benchmarking the brand and digital intelligence of the world's leading financial, professional services and technology firms. This analysis provides our clients with unparalleled insights and our teams with evidence-based research that enhances our understanding of our specialist sectors.
