Highlights from Last Year’s Conference: Your Brand Isn’t Real

We’re all bombarded with what feels like thousands of brand messages a day. It’s a noisy world and brands are constantly fighting for our attention.

Because of this, our BS-meters have never been better. If your brand exudes even the tiniest ounce of inauthenticity, you’re risking a backlash. When brands get it wrong, word travels far and fast (remember Kenneth Cole and SpaghettiOs)?

So how can you break through the noise and actually connect with your audience in a meaningful way? In a panel session last year, we heard from Sarah Jones from Home Depot and Laura Relyea of Scoutmob about how they’ve successfully used a story-first approach to create authentic connections with their audiences.

We also heard from Chris Glazier of Cookerly Public Relations, who argued that authenticity is great, but it’s more important for a brand to be consistent with their brand message, not just authentic.

What do you think? Check out the video for more great insight from the panel: