Is it Authentic or Does It Hurt The Brand?

I’m amazed by the current state of internet video. While professional video production companies struggle to have their best efforts noticed by the masses, poorly produced and low quality videos made by consumers go “viral” every day and enjoy millions of views.

There are exceptions to this rule of course, but the key lesson here is this:

Internet marketing videos don’t need to be professionally produced in order to be effective or popular. In fact, there’s a mountain of evidence to show that professionally produced internet videos are often at a disadvantage when compared to lower quality consumer generated video.

Why? Authenticity.

What consumer-generated internet videos lack in quality they more than make up for in authenticity. Because today’s consumer has been inundated with slick advertising, they’re much more likely to trust a poor quality video made by a regular person than anything produced by a professional.

While many businesses are tempted to create their own low production quality videos, there is often some concern about these ads effecting a brand’s image. Low quality ads can send the wrong message about a company’s inherent value. Most large corporations wouldn’t dream of airing a low-quality TV ad on network television for fear it would damage the public’s perception of their company. Right or wrong, people often associate good quality advertising with good products and services. Case in point: Would you go to a doctor for a life saving surgery if you saw her in a cheesy infomercial earlier that same day? Exactly.

Clearly, there’s a balancing act that must take place between authenticity and brand image. I would argue that context should be used to find that balance. Let’s take a look at this street sign advertising an Aruban jewelry store.

This street sign has numerous spelling and grammar errors, yet it enjoys prime placement along the main thoroughfare in Aruba’s prime tourist location.

The meaning of the sign is clear, and in that respect it accomplishes it’s basic mission. However, the numerous spelling and grammar errors clearly indicate the sign was written by someone without a solid grasp of the English language. Will consumers see this street sign as an indicator of honesty and authenticity, or will they assume that the sign’s poor grammar is a harbinger of poor communication with the jewelry shop staff?

Looking at the context of the sign, the answer quickly becomes apparent.

1. This is a sign for an inherently expensive item. Most consumers expect excellent service when they purchase expensive items, and this sign indicates communication could be a problem. Why would a consumer risk a bad experience when they have so many other options close by?

2. The sign is placed along a busy street in a tourist area of Aruba. Nearly every other sign in the area is clear and grammatically correct, so this sign draws attention to itself in a negative way.

3. The sign itself is old and worn. If the consumer had any doubts about this shop’s customer service because of the sign’s many grammar errors, those doubts are likely reinforced by the fact this sign hasn’t been replaced for years. Certainly the shop’s owner must have found out by now that their sign has errors – why haven’t they fixed them? What about fixing the scuffs on the sign itself? Are the shop owners cheap? Do they even care? These aren’t questions a potential customer should be asking themselves about this business.

4. The message on the sign doesn’t match the “authenticity” test. The sign raves about “platinum, exclusive, and handscrafted (sic)” items. The emphasis of the text is on premium and exclusive merchandise, yet the condition and message of the sign itself screams “low rent.” Perhaps if the sign emphasized low prices and values, the poor condition and grammar of the sign would seem more appropriate.

The bottom line: The quality of any advertising should meet the same minimum standards as competing ads, it should match the perceived quality of the product or service being promoted, and it should be updated and reviewed regularly. The only thing worse than making an advertising mistake (like this poorly worded sign) is allowing that mistake to go uncorrected for years.

While authenticity is crucial to a great marketing piece, it must be balanced against these tests in order to avoid damage to the brand.