💌 Honoring The Authentic
Those who had a lasting impact on our lives

📖 Authenticity Roundup
Reading list for you about Authenticity

🔮 The Future Of Brands
What will your favorite brand of the future look like

| Authenticity Report

Welcome to our weekly newsletter as we bring you all the latest from the Authenticity community.

Honoring the Authentic: Remembering the Lives and Legacies

As we start the new year, we want to remember those who recently died, who were authentic in their lives and industries and were able to leave a lasting impact and legacy due to their genuine passion and dedication to their craft.

Barbara Walters was an American journalist, author, and television personality known for her authentic and straightforward style of reporting & interviews. She was the first woman to co-host the Today show and the first woman to anchor a network evening news program, paving the way for other women in media like Oprah.

Pele was a Brazilian soccer player widely considered one of the greatest players of all time. He was known for his authenticity on and off the field, and his passion for the sport was evident in every match he played and being a global ambassador years after.

Vivienne Westwood was a British fashion designer and businesswoman known for her unique and innovative style. She was always true to herself and her vision, and her authenticity shone through in her designs and causes.

Ken Block was a professional rally driver and co-founder of DC Shoes. He was known for his authenticity and dedication to motor & action sports, and he always pushed himself and others to the limit in order to achieve the best possible results (while always having fun with a smile & a laugh).

All of these individuals were authentic in their lives and professions, and they left a lasting impact on their respective industries.

| Authenticity Roundup

This week's interesting reads from around the web.

Build an Authentic Brand in the New Year

As much of a buzzword as "authenticity" is, it's the benchmark your company needs to pass to win any engagement. Brand authenticity has increasingly become a determining factor for whether or not to engage with a brand. As we step into 2023, here are some examples of ways that you can bring authenticity to your brand; 1) Be real about your stories. 2) Be the expert people need. Inc.

Keep It Real or Lose Gen Z

Genuine connection, authentic content, and no 'likes'? Social media is being redefined, and legacy platforms must take heed. In 2023, Social media will change, with young users increasingly pushing for more meaningful online interactions. The dominant “legacy” players, like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, will give way to platforms that prioritize simplicity and authenticity. Wired

Chef Joe Isidori on Finding Your Authentic Voice

Authenticity Makes the Most Sense - Joe Isidori is unapologetically "New York Italian". However, it wasn't always that way. While building his brand, he found his voice after "shedding the armor" of what he thought he should be, and did what made the most sense: be himself. Entrepreneur

12 Personality Traits That Show You're A Highly Authentic Person

With technology making communication easier and spreading trends faster, authenticity is a lot less common these days. You have people hiding behind a well-curated online persona, and then you have those whose personality traits, style, goals, and even friends change based on whatever is currently going viral. But if you’re a truly authentic person, this is rarely ever the case. Hack Spirit

Why Do Audiences Care if Something Is Based on a True Story?

In all the media that audiences consume, the question of authenticity always lingers. From the most fantastical of fiction series to the many documentaries consumed monthly, there is without a doubt that viewers will and have questioned the validity and ultimately the quality of a film or series depending on how authentic it is. MovieWeb

The Future Of Brands by Sunny Fassler

Someone asked me, what will your favorite brand of the future look like?

My immediate response was, "I don't know yet, but the best brands will incorporate passion and purpose. They'll have a reason for being, but they'll also have an emotional connection with their audience.

In the end, most people want to feel like they're part of something bigger than themselves. So if a brand can tap into that, everybody wins."

𝘽𝙪𝙩 𝙝𝙤𝙬 𝙙𝙤 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙗𝙪𝙞𝙡𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙠𝙞𝙣𝙙 𝙤𝙛 𝙗𝙧𝙖𝙣𝙙? 𝙃𝙤𝙬 𝙙𝙤 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙘𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙩𝙚 𝙖 𝙗𝙧𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙘𝙖𝙣 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙩𝙚𝙨𝙩 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙞𝙢𝙚 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙨𝙞𝙢𝙪𝙡𝙩𝙖𝙣𝙚𝙤𝙪𝙨𝙡𝙮 𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙮 𝙧𝙚𝙡𝙚𝙫𝙖𝙣𝙩 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙥𝙪𝙧𝙥𝙤𝙨𝙚-𝙙𝙧𝙞𝙫𝙚𝙣?

The right mix of authenticity and transparency is crucial. No greenwashing or using sustainability as a guise for marketing. Consumers have already been subject to too much of that and see right through it all.

To be clear, planting trees for every purchase made, or offsetting carbon, is no longer enough. It's a superficial quick fix that might look sustainable, but it doesn't guarantee lasting, holistic changes.What I'm talking about is a brand ethos based on something bigger. A brand should be something beyond the product itself and have a greater impact on its community.

It should work to combat systemic inequalities, support marginalized communities, and create real and lasting change. A mission means something that brings meaning to the product, and consumers can rally behind.

However, sustainability is only one pillar of a strong (future) brand. Corporate social responsibility should hone in on people and the community. Meaning; advocating for better mental health. Mental health is an epidemic, and if COVID-19 has taught us anything, one that we can no longer ignore.Brands need to be vocal about their support for mental health awareness and actively create safe spaces for people to talk about their struggles. And, if brands want any chance of being relevant in the future, they'll need to put their money where their mouth is and support mental health initiatives that make a difference.

The third pillar I envision brands adopting is social equality (for better or worse). For better; this means creating a dialogue around gender, race and class. To move towards a better future, brands must address the issues head-on and start conversations that challenge us to think critically about our society's norms and expectations.They should push for change that works to level the playing field. For worse; this, I fear, is where many brands falter because they don't dare to take a stand and face the consequences.

My favorite brand of the future will stand for something bigger than itself, has sustainability at its core, and supports social equity through meaningful conversations. A brand with purpose and passion that puts people first and builds real connections.

> Follow Sunny Fassler on Linkedin

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| What Authenticity Means 

"True to clearly defined values and ideals combined with a consistent and unwavering expression of what a brand or person is, does, and cares about."- Andy M.