Authentic Marketing is More Than a Myth: The Right Way to do Real People Campaigns

Authentic Marketing is More Than a Myth: The Right Way to do Real People Campaigns. We all hear the same buzzwords in every meeting we sit down in. But in this industry, I think we can all agree that sure, ‘authentic’ has become a buzzword we all know we’re supposed to say – but is anyone actually doing authentic marketing? It’s about finding a real family because they have a story to tell. So you want to launch a real people campaign? Because the people in it told a story I wanted to watch unfold. This story struck a chord with me because it’s 100% relatable and real – not just the people, but the story too: How to use this for your own videos: Like I said above, think about yourself as a consumer – what resonates with you? Find the stories that resonate because they are powerful stories, not because there’s a hyper-relevant current event that you should probably force a story line around. The power of Pedigree’s ‘Dark to Light’ campaign, for example, isn’t in the fact that a brand is showing us a real person, saying “Look at us! How to use this for your own videos: Once you’ve found your story (see above), bring this character into the equation as early as possible so their story can help guide the ebbs and flows of the narrative.

Source: Vidyard

We all hear the same buzzwords in every meeting we sit down in. We all say the same buzzwords, including them in our PowerPoint presentations and word clouds. But in this industry, I think we can all agree that sure, ‘authentic’ has become a buzzword we all know we’re supposed to say – but is anyone actually doing authentic marketing?

The idea that ‘real people’ supposedly equals authenticity is one I hear a lot in this line of work – the idea that content should include a specific demographic because “Look, there’s your key to seemingly-genuine content!” But it doesn’t necessarily have to be about finding a real family simply because that’s another box you want to tick off. It’s about finding a real family because they have a story to tell. Because they already have the creative to help drive your campaign. So you want to launch a real people campaign? Here are the top 3 things to keep in mind:

1. Find the stories that matter

Quakers 2015 spot The Recital resonated with me to the point that I continue to reference it a full year later. Why? Because the people in it told a story I wanted to watch unfold. I myself am a working dad. I get the struggles of work/life balance. This story struck a chord with me because it’s 100% relatable and real – not just the people, but the story too:

How to use this for your own videos: Like I said above, think about yourself as a consumer – what resonates with you? Find the stories that resonate because they are powerful stories, not because there’s a hyper-relevant current event that you should probably force a story line around. Talk to people. Cold call. Fall down every hashtag rabbit hole you can find and build your narrative around the characters you stumble upon.