Consistency of Identity is the Core of Authenticity
In various environments, people always respond to different requirements with different performances. As a natural response of human beings, this is understandable. however, from the survey, I found that authenticity is highly related to identity consistency. Imagine if you find that a person’s qualities in different situations are contradictory, would you think that person is authentic?
In fact, the reasons why Chinese generation-z girls
sometimes do not believe in elders seem to be related to identity consistency.
Since traditional Chinese culture advocates the concepts of "respect for the elderly" and "filial piety", the elders are generally regarded as worthy of worship, and they have more correct ideas. Therefore, this may cause older people to pursuit overly idealized status as “elders”. However, the excessive pursuit of authority makes identity consistency more difficult. Thus, when young people find that there is a gap for older people when they act as the role of “idealistic elders” and other roles in life, it is difficult to trust them because their identities are not consistent.
A participant said that she didn't think her father was authentic, because she believed that her father's behavior seemed contradictory when he played different roles. For example, she said that as a father, he often told her “no smoking” and he did not smoke. However, as a friend of others, he often smokes with them. "I always feel that my father is trying to play an idealized father image, but he is actually not like that."
"When you show authority, people will expect you to behave like this forever." A participant said.
Overidealized character may be a trap,
because the excessive pursuit of perfection
may lead to low fault tolerance.
On the contrary, participants tended to think that younger groups have less social pressure of the "authority image", so they are more likely to show consistent behaviors, which is why they think younger groups are more authentic. From the workshop, I found that Little Red Book posts that participants thought were authentic all actively showed their weaknesses or doubts, not just professional or authoritative advice.
For example, in makeup/cooking videos that they thought were trustworthy, some bloggers added their repeated failures as the post-credits scenes at the end of the video. "I prefer to follow bloggers who are like this, because they are not just performing to be experts in videos." said one participant.
What brands need to do:
Make sure the unified brand image in any details
"Performing experts" seems to be a trap that brands easily fall into. Creating a very authoritative and perfect brand image of course can add precious value, but it increases the difficulty of maintaining consistency. Brands often show clear values in advertising, but it is difficult to be consistent at every touchpoint that consumers can reach.
For example, a participant said that when she went shopping at a fashion brand that declared to the committee sustainable development, the sales assistant showed ignorance of sustainable development. The participant said that the attitude of the sales assistant made her feel that sustainable development was just something the brand was performing, not real.
In addition, a participant saw a new product promotion from a jewelry brand and thought that this brand began to value younger, fashionable, and interesting designs. When she walked into a store, she found that the store had not replaced new products. The sales assistant explained that the new activities were only held in some stores, so this participant was disappointed by the brand, and her perception of brand authenticity declined.
It is certainly good to try to build a better brand image. However, nowadays, smart brands not only focus on the promotion of brand value but also focus on the consistency of the brand from the inside to the outside.
Chinese generation-z girls are very sensitive
and will review the brand from any aspect.
If you have a brand, put your values everywhere,
especially inside the organization.
When every staff of the brand deeply
understands and appreciates who the brand is,
consumers will truly believe that you are authentic and trust you.
If you want to continue to pretend to play the perfect role, then you need to never show your flaws. Of course, this can lead to exhaustion. Therefore, there is an easier way: just say what you actually do and stop pretending.