An authentic brand is usually grown but it can also be built. The most authentic brands are the ones that stick true to their morals, principles and their values. But how do you build an authentic brand and how do you measure its authenticity?
We’re taking a look at New Balance, one of the most authentic brands on the planet to find out what they do to generate new custom and keep their existing customers coming back.
What does it mean to be an ‘authentic brand’?
Every brand has a vision and mission statement but not all of them come alive outside of the boardroom. A brand that creates one as a corporate tick-box exercise or because, at the time, it believes it’s the right thing to do or the place it wants to go, does not meet the criteria for brand authenticity. The same as if a brand owns a vision statement that it doesn’t actively implement.
An authentic brand is one whose marketing aligns with its values. It’s the companies that wear their internal world on their jacket sleeves. Their vision and purpose are visible throughout every touch point of their customer journey. It’s not just one of the principles of their business, it’s their guiding principle.
Why build an authentic brand?
It seems simple: build a set of brand guidelines that mirror your vision statement. But why do so many companies let go along the way? As social media has taught us, new trends and comparison are easy to follow. It means brands slip up on what they stand for, taking the popular route rather than hunkering down in their beliefs even if it doesn’t increase their sales.
But there’s more to business than sales. Sales don’t happen without customers and repeat sales don’t happen without customer loyalty. Enter: brand authenticity.
When brands understand their customers at a granular level, they can use their core values to create marketing that resonates with their target audience.
According to Mintel’s 2025 Global Consumer Trends report:
“Brands must be aware of the evolving consumer sentiment that swings between moral values and basic needs.”
It goes on to say that:
“Right now, consumers are seeking products that support and elevate their lives on a functional level, more than vague corporate social responsibility claims that don’t translate to solutions.”
Brand authenticity relies on honesty, integrity and transparency. It’s about getting real with consumers to showcase their future with the brand. The return? Trust – a business’ pot of gold.
Let’s look at New Balance…
New Balance is a popular footwear company which reinvented its marketing to transition from the middle-aged dad market to the supermodel-wearing streetwear shoe of choice. Its focus is on performance rather than style, placing its values before its potential virality.
Tom Henshaw is the Global Lifestyle Director for New Balance and told Creative Review that the revival of the New Balance sneaker was not entirely down to clever marketing. It was a shift in the market that brought the dad shoe back into focus, but Henshaw says:
“Being self-referential, not taking ourselves too seriously, and understanding the consumer [means] we know how we’re perceived.”
His comments are supported by Jeff McAdams, Vice President of Global Marketing at New Balance in an interview with Dazed magazine:
“We take a very autobiographical approach to marketing, we don’t like to fabricate stories about ourselves and that, more than ever, is what matters, particularly to our younger target. They see us for what we are.”
New Balance embraces its values and displays them to its consumer base which is a crucial shift in today’s marketing. Gen Z account for around 15% of the UK population and their spending habits are centred around beliefs and values. They are more likely to invest in brands that see the future of the world as they do – and boycott the ones that don’t.
Understanding this seems to be the clincher for New Balance, among other notable brands like Patagonia.
How to build an authentic brand
Starting to build an authentic brand, or committing to your existing brand’s authenticity, is all about tapping into what you believe in and choosing to stick with it.
Review your mission and value statement to remind yourself what it was that you committed to and where your aspirations lie.
Get to know your customers – really well. Understand why they are with your brand and, if they’re not, what your target market wants.
Entrench your values in your internal and external work to keep your values top of mind for your teams and also within your marketing.
Remember: be consistent, be real and always come back to your values.
