There have been several pieces of research released recently that have examined what consumers believe to be the top attributes for brands to display. New studies issued by Mindshare North America and Cohn & Wolfe add to that body of research, which seems to agree that honesty and authenticity are important attributes, particularly to Millennials.
A quick review of some of the relevant takeaways from the earlier research shows that....
I fluctuate between being shocked that brands need to be told this and being glad that we are speaking about it. In my heart, I want to hope that we all strive for honesty and integrity. But I also know in the heat of the moment, it can be easy for a brand to lose control of messaging as it moves thru product management to marketing to sales to the big world of social marketing. For me, it comes down to this, as a customer, if I wouldn't accept the message, then I won't use it.