
 
 I-branding yaba kuphela inkcazelo yokongeza i-value ye-product. I-branding yaba malunga ne-absorption ye-cultural ideas that their brands could reflect. -Naomi Klein - No Logo, 1999 I-branding yaba kuphela inkcazelo yokongeza i-value ye-product. I-branding yaba malunga ne-absorption ye-cultural ideas that their brands could reflect. -Naomi Klein - No Logo, 1999 I-authenticity kwi-marketing iye uvame ukufa emzimbeni we-money-grubbing ye-corporate. Zininzi abantu bayazi ukuba iingcali zebhizinisi ziyafumaneka ngokuzenzakalelayo ukufumana iingcali kunye neengcali zeendaba, ukunika i-facade ye-firm eyenza i-vibe yayo. Kwiinyanga ezidlulileyo, umzekelo we-authenticity iye yaziwa njengoko i-must for Generation Z kunye ne-Millennial consumers - kwaye ubungqina obungapheliyo kubonakala ukuba kunzima. Ukucinga i-Fake Nangona engabonakali ngokupheleleyo, iimveliso ezininzi ziyafumaneka umdla omnqweno omnqweno olwandle kwi-digital communications. Qinisekisa ukuba abantu abaninzi zihlanganisa (kuquka iingcamango ezininzi) yintoni ukuba "ngaphandle kwe-matrix". Izixabiso ezininzi ziyafumaneka kwi-reality embalwa, kwaye i-"hyperreal" ebizwa ngokuba yi-Baudrillard ibonakalisa kakhulu kwi-consciousness yobungcali. Izixabiso ezininzi ziyafumaneka ukufumana umdla kwi-meta-irony kunye nexabiso zibonakalisa ngokufanelekileyo iimeko ezifanelekileyo kubo - okanye iimeko ezifumaneka. Umzekelo? Iinjini ze-corporate ze-advertising ayikwazanga nje, ziye zithambulwe. Iiposi ze-payed okanye ze-sponsored zibonakalisa kalula kwi-social feeds ukuze abathengi awukwazi ukufikelela kwimveliso yakho kwaye ngexesha elifanayo ukuba 'impression'. I-authenticity yaba i-buzzword esithathwe yi-brands kwaye, ngokwemvelo, abasebenzisi zikhuselwa ngexesha lokugqibela kwaye zikhuselwa ukubhaliswa - nangona nje ngempumelelo, baye zithembisa i-noise ebhalisiweyo. Yintoni bafumane ngoku? Ngokuvamile, uya kufumana ukuba umntu omnye owaziwa kakuhle. I-media landscapes yandisa. Kule ixesha elitsha, umthengi uqala ngokuzimela ukuba uqhagamshelane, apho ufumana iinkcukacha zayo kunye ne- "ukukhanyisa ukujongana" ukuya kwindawo yokuthumela imali. Ukukhula Media Direct Kwakhona i-BBC ihamba iinkcubeko ezininzi ze-branding. Namhlanje, ukuxhaswa kwe-emoto ye-iconic evela kwi-"the little guy" ibonisa kakhulu kunokuba kwakhona e-UK, kunye namaqela ezimbini ze-call of political accusing them of bias. Ukongezelela i-great mistep of splicing the Trump's January 6th speech to make it seem much worse than it actually was ... kunokuba kukho isizathu elungileyo ukuba abantu bafuna i-"direct media" ngenxa yeempembelelo yabasetyhini. Izixhobo zangaphakathi ziyafumaneka unfiltered, ngokuqinisekileyo ngaphandle izixazululo zekhredithi-level boardroom. People find it more real: ngoku bheka kwi-social media ukuba ukhangele iindaba zabo. Akukho ukuba i-TikTokers okanye i-Substack ababhali ziquka, ngaphandle kwakhona, kodwa ziyaziwa njengeempembelelo zayo zayo zibonakalayo. Kukho i-element ye-"skin in the game" kunxhomekeke ne-faceless void eyenza i-PR department. I-half of U.S. Adults Ukukhula kwe-”newsfluencers” isibonelo yokuqala yokuba umthando wabasetyenziswa iingxelo ze-human-driven. Just look at these statistics. across the board Iinkampani kunye neeyunithi ziquka ukudayisa ukuqhagamshelwano, kodwa abathengi awukwazi ukuchithwa - njani i-90% yeCEO zibonisa ukuba abathengi bafumane i-brand yabo xa ? kuphela i-30% yabathengi bafikelele Yintoni, yintoni esekelwe ngokufanelekileyo? Ukufa kweCustomer Global Ndingathanda ukuba abathengi abatsha akuyona nje ngexesha elide - baye baye baye baye baye baye baye baye baye baye baye baye baye baye baye baye baye baye baye baye baye baye baye baye baye baye baye baye baye baye baye baye baye baye baye baye baye baye baye baye baye baye baye baye baye baye baye baye baye baye baye baye baye baye baye baye baye baye baye baye baye baye baye baye baye baye baye baye baye baye. I-globalization yaba kufuneka yintloko elikhulu ekubunjini iimarike zehlabathi zehlabathi. Yintoni ndingathanda ngokwenene, ku-tribalization. Ngaphandle kokuphumelela kwi-‘global citizen’ abantu abahlala iintloko zabo. Ukuba usebenzisa i-Apple okanye i-Android kunokwenzeka ukuhlaziywa kwehlabathi. I-Apple ibonelela i-elegance kunye ne-design emangalisayo kwaye i-Android ibonelela kwi-utilitary kunye ne-modular. Ukongezelela kwimibuzo emangalisayo... Ngaba abantu abavela ukuba bafumane iinkcukacha zebhizinisi? Yintoni iingxaki kakhulu iyona 'i-tribe' ibonelela; le nentliziyo ibonelela njenge yayo. Iimveliso ziyazi ukuba umdlalo ungenza ngaphezulu kwi-trading kwi-symbolic belonging kwi-tech superiority. Kukho umzekelo owaziwa ukuba iingcebiso kwi-auditory eyahlukileyo ziyafumaneka ngaphambili, kwaye ukuba umdlali wehlabathi wafumana. Ngokungafani, nangona thina ukubona ukuzinza kwe-authenticity kwi-advertising, abathengi bafuna ukuba ubunzima ubunzima wayo. Iingcebiso ezininzi okanye iingcebiso zeengcebiso ezininzi ziyafumaneka iindlela ezilungileyo. Iingcebiso zeengcebiso ze-CR7 ye-Ronaldo, i-Gwyneth Paltrow's Goop vitamins, i-Logan Paul's Prime Hydration ... akukho nto ilungele ngenxa ye-chemistry eyinxalenye kwimarike. Zibonisa i-volume ngenxa yokuba ukuchithwa kwimveliso. I-face ye-founder (okanye i-celebrity) yaye iingcebiso yokuqala. Kwakhona kwi-publishing, sinokufuneka lo mphumo: umnxeba isithuthuthu isithuthuthu kakhulu kunokuba umgangatho we-literature. Kwi-2018, kuphela omnye kwi-100 bestsellers ye-paperback fiction ibhalwe yi-celebrity — ngexesha 2023 ama-five of the Top 20 ziyafumaneka ama-celebrity-autors. Iingcebiso zokusetyenziswa kwikhompyutha zokusetyenziswa kakhulu kwi-reality yayo. Iingcebisi akwazi ukunceda oku; i-world ye-corporate ayidinga kwi-real life yakho - kukho iziphumo ezininzi ezininzi ezibonakalayo ukuba zibonakalayo - ngoko i-authenticity i-buzzword. Akukho kwakhona. I-dead in the water. I-Theatre of the Absurd I-authenticity iya kuthatha nje iinyanga ezimbini kuphela ngenxa yokuba i-reality eyenziwe ngexesha elidlulileyo kwi-most people's lives. Ingxelo iimveliso ezahlukileyo ezahlukileyo ezahlukileyo ezahlukileyo ezahlukileyo ezahlukileyo ezahlukileyo ezahlukileyo: 
 
 
 
 I-Pepsi ngelixa ukuba ukunika i-police i-soda inokukwazi ukunciphisa i-racism ye-systemic kunye nokunciphisa i-needle ye-protest (ngokufunda i-advertisement yeKendall Jenner). I-Jaguar yasungula i-campaign yokuthengisa into efana ne-individuality ebonakalayo ngaphandle kokubonisa i-car enye ... oku kunokuba kuthetha ukuba i-auto ye-luxury inokunceda ukuxhaswa kwe-identity expression yakho? I-Shell kunye ne-BP zithintela iinkampanye ze-green ze-million dollar ngexesha elifanayo, ngexesha elifanayo zithintela iiprojekthi ze-low-carbon. okanye umzekelo olutsha: i-Sydney Sweeney ine-genes ezininzi kunye ne-jeans ezininzi! Asikwazi ukufikelela apho. I-advertisers ingaba baye baye baye baye baye baye baye. Ziziphi na ingxaki? Ngaphandle kokuba ukutshintshwa. I-Big Brand Advertisers isebenza kwi-reality ebonakalayo ukuba kuxhomekeke kwi-consumer's; kufuneka kunokuba kwenziwe ngokufanelekileyo. Yonke i-campaign ibonise i-universe eyahlukileyo apho izinto zibe ezininzi ezininzi ezininzi ezininzi ezininzi. Ukubuyiselwa ukuba iimveliso ziyafumaneka ukuba ziyafumaneka kwimveliso ezininzi ezininzi ... oku kuphela akufutshane. Abasebenzisi bafuna iimveliso ukuba ziyafumaneka, kodwa kubonakala ukuba iimveliso ezininzi ziyafumaneka kwi-system enokuthintela ukufikelela kwimveliso efanelekileyo. I-brand ye-modern yenzelwe ukuvelisa i-reality eyenziwe ngexesha elifanayo kunye ne-real-life, leyo i-dumb and not easily smoothed into ad campaigns, kodwa nangokuvelisa ngexesha elifanayo kwaye kwakhona ibonelela izicelo zayo. Kwangoku, oku kuthetha ukwandisa iingcebiso. I-Black Lives Matter yi-massive and complex reality that Pepsi could never engage with in any substantive way. I-Jaguar yi-legacy brand ye-British: inkxaso yayo ebonakalayo kwi-queer identities is not only hard to believe, it’s also a problem many of its typical customers probably don’t care about. I-British Petroleum is inherently motivated to pretend that it’s doing something to reduce the catastrophic pain its entire business model wreaks on the planet’s climate. Umthengisi-As-Brand Marketing Ukuba abathengi bafumane nangaphezulu ukuba iimveliso zibonakalisa kubo, ke yintoni akuyona i-accord? Umzekelo we-founder, xa ifakwe kakuhle, inikeza izibane ezininzi kunokuba i-campanye ye-slick ngenxa yinkqubo elula ukuba abasebenzisi zithembisa iingxelo. Ngaba unayo ukucinga ukuba ufumane le nto; le playbook ayinxalenye kakhulu. Yenza ingxaki, oku akuyona i-substitute ye-authenticity. I-myth of the founder (i-shaphu ebandayo) ibekwe kwi-plot kunye ne-message eyenziwe. Uyakwazi ukhangela ukuba ibekwe kwi-parasosocial relationship - ndicinga, nje bheka i-Elon Musk ye-horde ye-acolytes. Nangona kunjalo, intloko lwe-authenticity ayikho kwakhona kwisiseko. Kwihlabathi elidlulileyo kuphela, sincoma kunye neengxaki ezikhoyo ngokucacileyo. Kwiimeko ezininzi, iingoma ezilungileyo ziyafumaneka kwiingoma ezisebenzayo ezininzi. Iingoma zeengcali ziyafumaneka kakuhle apha. Ngokutsho, abaqhubi abahlanganisa into ezifanayo ngokucacileyo kwiingoma ezaziwayo. Iingoma ezifunyanwa malunga nabantu, ubomi, ubomi, okanye nayiphi na into. Yintoni ngaphandle kweengxaki zebhizinisi ezincinane eyenziwe ngempumelelo kwiingoma. Ngathi, uBrian Chesky, umngcali we-Airbnb, awukwazi ukufundisa malunga neengxaki ezininzi zeengcali kunye neengxaki ezininzi yokwakha i-platform. Uyavula umzekelo wokuvelisa inkampani kwi-legend: Iingcebisi ezimbini (iChesky ngokwayo kunye neJoe Gebbia) ziye zithunyelwe ngexesha elide kwi-apartments zabo e-San Francisco, xa zibonise ukuba i-conference ye-design yabaqhathanisa zonke iihotele ezininzi. I-inspiration ifumaneka: i-pair yabaqhathanisa iintlobo ze-air mattresses, i-website ye-small - - kwaye kubhalwe abathengi kwi-$ 80 ngenyanga. Kwiminyaka eyahlukileyo yi-history. AirBedandBreakfast.com Ngaba le ncwadi yenzelwe ngqo? Akukho kakhulu - kodwa iimeko ezisemgangathweni. Izifundo zincinciphise inkcazelo ukuze kunokufundiswa ngexesha elide kunye nokwenza imiphumo yokufuneka. Kwimeko emangalisayo kakhulu. I-SXSW yasungulwa kwiminyaka e-2008 yandisa iindwendwe ezimbini. Enye yaye Chesky. Iinyanga ezili-2 ezidlulileyo, ziye ziye ziboniswe kumazwe ezimbini abavela ukwandisa i-$150,000 ngexabiso se-$1.5 million ... kwaye ziye zithunyelwe kwi-7 'notes'. Ukukhangisa amakhadi zekhredithi ze-maxed-out, baye ziye ziye zibonise i-cereal boxes ezintsha ye-2008 - "Obama O's" kunye ne-"Cap'n McCain's" - kunye nokufumana i-$30,000. Umthamo we-Airbnb ikhona kwi-myth eyenziwe ngabantu abadlali malunga nabasebenzi zabo. Kwiintsuku ezidlulileyo, i-Airbnb ibonise i-corporation ye-multinational kwi-problematic kunye ne-human problem: isixeko yokuthengisa kunye ne-how to encounter a new city more like a local. Kwimeko abaqhelile imbali yokuqala ye-Airbnb, i-beehemoth ye-international ibonakala njengoko ifumaneka kwi-solution smart kwi-real-world necessity. Oku yindlela elungileyo yokufaka inkampani ye-$69 billion. Khetha ngokugqithisileyo kwi-mythos ye-garage tech start-up kunye neengxaki ze-intriguing kwi-theme. Abasebenzisi bafumane lo mfuneko. Ndiya, i-performance - kodwa i-high-fidelity kunye ne-notes ezininzi ezinxulumeneyo kunokuba ifumaneke. I-performance ibonakalisa ngokufanelekileyo kwiminyaka embalwa. Oku akayi kulinganiswa ne-hyperreality ye-corporate ebonakalayo ibonakalisa akukho ukunxibelelana ne-reality. I-Human Story Eyenza I-Sense Eyenza I-Sense Eyenza Yintoni. Umntu Moat Njengoko Jean Baudrillard wathi: "Ngaphandle kokuba 'ukholelwa' kwimveliso, ngoko ke, siphinde kwi-advertising enokufunda ukuba siphinde. Thina kumazwe ngamazwe omnye njengabafazi kwi-akhawunti yayo kwi-Father Christmas." Okokuqala, siyazi ukuba le mveliso yintoni, kodwa siyazi ukuba i-ad just like children play along with the Santa Claus tale. I-founder yobungcali yayo njengomthengisi we-marketing yebhizinisi yayo ibonakala kwimeko yokuba abantu bayakuthanda i-story elungileyo, bayakuthanda ngokukhawuleza ukuba i-intelligence yayo ibonakaliswa. I-authenticity njenge-buzzword ye-marketing ibonakalisa ngexesha elide ngenxa yokuba abantu bafumane xa bafumane yi-fake. I-myth eyenziwe yi-founder ibonakalisa i-organic, i-reality ye-human ukuba kufuneka ibonakalise ngexesha elide kunokuba yi-advertisement ye-corporate. It is not authentic in the strict sense (i-performance) but at its heart liquka i-experience ye-human ibonakalisa ngu-individual real. Thina akufuneka ukuba i-myth iye yenzelwe ngokupheleleyo: kufuneka nje ukholelwa ukuba yinto yenzelwe kwihlabathi yethu. Ingaba i-authenticity ilawulwa kakhulu - okanye ngoko ke sifumane indlela entsha yokuhambisa, kwi-reflections ezijolile zeengcali ze-charismatic ezinxulumene kwi-masses ngaphezu kwe-Pepsi ad. Ngoko ke, ngoko ke, kufuneka umntu umnxeba. Good luck fake that.

The is an opinion piece based on the author’s POV and does not necessarily reflect the views of HackerNoon.

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