Authentic Video Download
Hedy Gronewald
"Although clearly a desirable quality, authentic is hard to define and subject to debate," wrote Merriam-Webster about its word of the year. Joanne K. Watson/handout via Getty Images hide caption
On social media, millions signed up to "BeReal," beauty filters sparked a big backlash and Elon Musk told brands to be more "authentic" on Twitter (now X) before deciding to charge them all $8 a month to prove that they are who they say.
This may be why we connect it to ethnicity (authentic cuisine or authentic accent) but also identity in the larger sense (authentic voice and authentic self). In this age where artifice seems to advance daily, we're in a collective moment of trying to go back, to connect with some earlier, simpler version of ourselves.
Many brands entered 2021 with a commitment to building more meaningful and authentic dialogue particularly with communities of color, and while the goal is laudable, brands have to be smart and sensitive if they want to avoid looking opportunistic.