Several Audiences, One Authentic Brand

A prospect asked me an interesting question:

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“How is my brand supposed to create consistent messaging when our target customers are so varied? I hear that authenticity is the most important element of a brand, and I worry that my audience will find my messaging to be inauthentic if I speak differently to different audiences. At the same time, I worry that if my messaging is too consistent, I’ll come off as inauthentic and robotic.”

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First and foremost, authenticity is consistency. Your brand can promote different messages to different audiences with varying priorities and concerns, while maintaining a singular brand voice and philosophy.

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Consider how you assess authenticity in your personal life. If someone acts one way when they’re with you, and then seems to have a completely different set of values with others, you might judge that person to be inauthentic.

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However, you would never judge a person for presenting their personality a bit differently depending on the company they are keeping, assuming that their core philosophical tenets, positions on important issues, and personality traits stay consistent throughout. People adapt to numerous social situations each day––for example, they may present one way at work, but present differently while at home, or out with friends, or on a date.

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We are all constantly adapting to our audience while remaining meaningfully “ourselves”. Your brand can (and should) do the same.

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This is the reason that a core step of branding is to find the commonalities between your varied target audiences and build your brand voice around those shared attributes, setting yourself up for success in marketing rather than making it up as you go along.

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That way, when the time comes to diversify your messages for varying audiences, you can feel confident that your brand voice has recognizable and desirable qualities that resonate with all of your prospects while communicating specific messages to differing personas.

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With clear tonal guidelines and philosophical stances for your brand, your marketing will always come across as authentic.