2019 is The Year of “Authenticity”

In 2018, consumers shifted away from everything fake: fake credentials, fake bitcoin schemes, fake news, fake security, fake education (check out Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s “Green New Deal”), fake advertising, and fake people.

Let’s take a look at some groundbreaking things that happened in 2018:

• Cardi B dethroned Nicki Minaj as the number one female hip-hop artist in U.S. history
• Meghan Markle (former Hollywood actress) was the first woman of color to join the British royal family
• Black Panther was the largest solo superhero movie launch of all time
• Alice Johnson (convicted drug trafficker) was released from prison via an appeal from Kim Kardashian
• 2018 was huge for the LGBTQ community: celebrities including Janelle Monáe, Rita Ora, and Amandla Stenberg went public about their sexuality and Illinois senators passed a bill requiring LGBT history to be taught in public schools
• Mark Zuckerberg testified on Capitol Hill regarding Facebook’s Cambridge Analytica data breach of the personal data of 87 million people
• Christine Blasey Ford testified against Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh and made the cover of TIME
• 7-Eleven Norway ran a campaign called the “land of chlamydia,” educating consumers on the countries’ high rates of the STD
• Nike endorsed controversial NFL player, Colin Kaepernick, as the face of its 30th anniversary “Just Do It” campaign
• Alex Jones and several other controversial influencers were banned from Youtube, Twitter, and Facebook
• Workplace dissatisfaction hit an all-time high with 53% of Americans stating that they’re unhappy at work, according to The Conference Board

We saw plus-sized, disabled, and trans models on the covers of magazines and walking for top designer during fashion week.

Professional athletes, politicians, celebrities, influencers, and entrepreneurs made a greater effort than ever before to establish themselves as real people online (possibly Kim Kardashian’s motive for helping Alice Johnson).

There were even more developments in AI: Google developed a censored search engine for China, Amazon sold facial recognition technology to police setting off surveillance alarms, spam calls hit record highs and more than 50% of robocalls are expected to be spam in 2019, domestic abusers began using smart home technology to manipulate victims, and Brian X. Chen actually downloaded the data Facebook collected on him, discovering more than 500 advertisers that had been virtually stalking him.

The list goes on. There’s no denying that people have had enough. 2018 made it clear that modern consumers have a burning desire for truth and transparency online. They aren’t as trusting or forgiving as they once were.

The End of Being “Woke”

A quick Google search for the term “woke” will generate hundreds of millions of results. “Woke” dominated the internet in 2018, referencing how people should become aware of current affairs. It was mentioned all over the world: by celebrities, on the news, and even on Netflix.

It separated followers from those who think for themselves and tells us a lot about the current climate and mindset online.

2018 was all about being “woke,” and 2019 is all about being genuine and authentic online.

What does Authenticity Even Look Like?

According to Dictionary.com, being authentic refers to being of undisputed origin; or genuine.

The challenge with brands and influencers becoming more “authentic” is that it’s impossible.

In Robert Greene’s “The Art of Seduction” he talks about never showing your hand. When it comes to the art of consumer seduction, marketers will never be completely authentic. It would be brand suicide.

The most important trait in all seduction is that the seducer is constantly surprising us. Similar to the people you meet in daily life, every brand has a dark side.

They’re not going to tell you about real challenges or real failures unless it would somehow benefit the overall receptiveness of the brand. They’re going to tell you what’s required, based on the cultural climate and user analytics.

How to Be Authentic Online

The most authentic thing you can do with your personal or business brand online is to tell your fans your intentions, directly.

True fans will fall in love with you, your work, and your values — and that won’t require you to paint a grandiose picture.

If you’re selling a product, highlight the product, talk about the amazing benefits of using the product, build a fantasy around the possibilities of improving lives with the product — and don’t sell anything else.

If you’re promoting your own image, be honest.

Stand for something, and weave the content you create and controversial commentary into what you stand for.

Consumers will recognize this and flock to you.

Take Georgia O’Keeffe’s work, for example. She’s remembered for her paintings and recognized as the “Mother of American modernism” — although she’s internationally known for her support of the feminist movement. Or Mark Rothko, who refused to adhere to any art movement, rather identifying himself as an abstract expressionist. His painting “Orange, Red, Yellow” sold for $86.9 million — the highest price ever paid for a piece of contemporary art at auction.

Filtering out the Fake

Toward the end of the year, Netflix’s “Bird Box” touched on the concept of nihilism, and the dangers of rejecting all religious and moral principles.

Perhaps there’s a silver lining in that.

It’s human nature to identify as part of a group. People want to trust their friends & family, and they want to trust their favorite influencers and brands online.

Hollywood is producing more movies than ever, and touching on bigger issues than ever. Issues like diversity, gender equality, sexuality, and cultural values — these issues run deep at the core of Western civilization.

As business owners, influencers, and brands, we have the opportunity to regain consumers’ trust in a unique way.

In 2019, make your brand stand out by being transparent. Be a real person, who's really passionate about what you do. This will help consumers separate the wheat from the chaff, and they’ll be more loyal than before. There’s one archetype that people respect more than a leader, a savior.

Wishing you success & happiness,

Happy New Year!