How to Balance Authenticity and Marketing While Developing Your Brand

All companies must eventually make sales if they want to last as a business. And to make sales, you need to work on marketing — or getting your brand and products in front of potential customers and detailing the reasons why they should pass their hard-earned cash off to you.

But while earning sales is one of the main goals of good marketing, some efforts can sometimes come off too “salesy,” turning off customers with far too insistent and persistent language and messaging. Today’s consumers crave more transparency from brands, so marketers must work to balance their sales pitch with their brand’s authentic voice.

Drawing on their own experiences as business leaders, the members of Rolling Stone Culture Council weigh in below on how brands can balance authenticity and marketing when developing their unique brand story and why it’s so important to do so.

Focus on What Makes You Uniquely Different

Be authentic, but focus your messaging lens on what you do differently and better. It’s not always easy to come up with your “different, better” aspect, but it’s the great equalizer. Saying you are the best is not a value proposition. Explaining your unique value is uncontestable. Communicate that message in the tone that resonates with your audience. – Michael Newman, The Bureau of Small Projects

Share Real Stories and Experiences

Build your brand story around real experiences. Genuine narratives from founders or customers create emotional connections and trust. In a crowded market, especially in cannabis, authenticity sets you apart and turns consumers into loyal advocates. – Red Rodriguez, Iconoclast Agency

Focus on the ‘Why’

Why are you selling that product or service? Center your marketing around the “why,” and the authenticity that consumers nowadays crave will shine through. – Sam Saideman, Innovo Management

Reflect Your Company’s Ethos All Year

Aim marketing initiatives toward your authentic audience all year long. Consumers can see right through inauthentic marketing. To be authentic, you must reflect your company’s ethos in everything you do. Show up for the community and show commitment to this ethos year-round, not only during holidays or special months. – Lindsey Bartlett, Fast Buds

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Stay True to Your Mission

It’s important to stay grounded and remember why you started. Your mission statement is more than just a slogan. It’s the guiding principle behind your business. If you truly believe in it, let it shape your marketing strategy and inform your decision-making. By staying true to your mission, you’ll not only build a more authentic brand, but you’ll also create a deeper connection with your customers. – Jason Peterson, GoDigital Media Group

Be Honest About Your Business

Balancing authenticity and marketing when developing a brand story is crucial because consumers can quickly detect inauthenticity. Being honest about your business and why the marketing is changing or why you are marketing to grow will help consumers understand so you keep their trust, and it is also an opportunity to remind them of core values and that they aren’t going away. – Matthew Forster, CMS Nashville

Deliver What You Promise

Authentic marketing is key to brand loyalty. When investing in a company’s products or services, consumers act under the assumption that their needs will be met as advertised. To build trust, companies need to accurately represent their offerings and deliver what is promised. – Dustin Eide, CanPay

Stay Consistent Across All Touchpoints

Brands should focus on aligning their core values with their messaging, ensuring that what they communicate reflects their true identity. One tip I would give is to be consistent across all touchpoints. Why? Because consumers are quick to notice when there’s a disconnect between what a brand claims and how it behaves or presents itself. Don’t water down your end product. Be bold. Make them remember you. – Josiah Corbin, Elite Multimedia Productions

Let Your Brand Have a Sense of Humor

People who are secure in themselves tend to be humble and are able to laugh at themselves. That’s true for brands, too. A trustworthy brand is clear on what they bring to the table, but they don’t take themselves too seriously, either. What would it mean to let your brand have a sense of humor? Remember that the best physicians can treat your illness and have a great bedside manner. – Jed Brewer, Good Loud Media

Treat Marketing Like an Elevated Resume

Brand marketing is like an elevated resume — a part of you that is real but refined in an accessible way. More importantly, it’s not just proof of your expertise; it’s a deep dive into the story of why you’re reaching out to others and what you’re offering on relatable levels. Ensure you answer questions about how you’re helping and what new services you provide to improve someone’s experience. – Cynthia Johnson, Bell + Ivy

Listen to Your Gut

There are no hard-and-fast rules, but customers and clients can generally sense if a company is trying too hard to suck up to them. At some point, you also need to show what you believe in, despite what customers may want. It is a balance only you can decide how to play. Use your gut feeling. – Zain Jaffer, Zain Jaffer Foundation