While humor and a humane approach are the muscles and bones that move a story, authenticity is the warm, loving heart of every stunning brand narrative. And today having a heart is important for brands once again (hooray).

If this sounded too sentimental to you, just think about the brands that have caught your attention recently. While the brand hype used to be a lot about the innovation factor (it still is, to an extent), these days people are experiencing a blast from the past that has “authenticity” written all over it.

All things vintage are as hip’n’cool as they can get. People dig 80s hairstyles, love homemade jam and listen to The Doors on cassette recorders.

Why? Among many a reason, because they crave the idealized good old days when everybody seemed to be “keeping it real.”

And some brands are better at understanding the underlying reasons why people feel that way. That’s why they dig in for their inner brand strength: the authentic story.

Cadbury

To be honest, Cadbury has it easy in terms of story material. After all, it has a 200-year history, which means it does not need to look too long for a compelling brand story. Started as a one-man business in 1824, the Cadbury brand still carries the magic touch of homemade hot chocolate and the real taste of cocoa.

And while it has a rich past indeed, Cadbury also manages to present it authentically and with a healthy dose of humor in the present. It’s not only the and the kids . Cadbury opened a Chocolate Centre of Excellence and is moving gradually into the Fairtrade field. And it’s still keeping its century old motto: “A glass and a half full of joy.”

GoPro

Let’s jump in the deep here with the iconic mountable GoPro cameras. Nick Woodman founded the company in 2002 because he had a dream. He wanted to be able to capture those wild moments of surfing that no other camera angle could get. So he founded a startup, sold belts to raise cash and made the GoPro Hero camera. And the rest is history.

You can safely say that the GoPro cameras are revolutionary for amateur video enthusiasts and professional athletes alike. GoPro is also revolutionizing the content marketing field with arguably the most authentic approach ever: user generated content. People share what they experience while using the camera by posting their extreme videos on GoPro’s website. It’s all about the passion!

Dollar Shave Club

And here we go with one no-bullshit razor offer. The Dollar Shave Club sells uncomplicated, affordable and great razor blades delivered to customers’ doors. The bright and profoundly simple idea behind it is to “Shave time. Shave money.” In a world full of overly sophisticated gadgets and tools, it’s a truly refreshing concept.

Besides having a cool idea, the DSC also executed it well. They went for an old-school visual brand feel, complemented by truly awesome and hilarious videos. Their story is so clear and effective that you wish you’d thought of it: why bother with complicated razors when you can have a $1 shave? After all, their Executive Razor product is described as “this blade comes from the future and lives in outer space.” And their blog is a must-follow too!

Out of Print Clothing

The brand story of Out of Print Clothing shares some similarities with GoPro because of its approach to customers and marketing. Namely, it lets people share the love about Out of Print’s products by… simply wearing them and sharing their own story.

Out of Print lets the nostalgia for the past unfold in a beautiful way. The brand creates clothing, accessories and stationery that carry the images of out-of-print books and other much loved memorabilia. Its own story is not less charming either. Its founders, Todd and Jeff, founded the company as a way to remind people to remember to talk about books. Pretty awesome, no?

 

Inspired?

Learning from the best is a good idea to spark up the enthusiasm for your own’s brand authenticity.

But what’s better is actually getting your powerful brand story. And as we live on awesome stories, can certainly help you with that.