Why do you think people are attracted to companies they deem genuine?
“We are constantly bombarded online by companies trying to sell us things and so often it seems forced or cheesy or sale. At the same time, we love that our friends post a hilarious Instagram story because it's relatable and gives us two seconds to smile during our busy day. It's a rare moment when a company can be behind those two seconds. To be able to offer this moment, a company must be authentic. The company should become like your funny friend who you can't wait to chat with or can't wait to see their social media posts. »
—Nicklaus Morton, co-founder of Tipsy Elves, an ugly Christmas sweater company on Shark Tankthat has achieved over $40 million in sales over the past five years
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“Consumers vote with their money. They want to support like-minded businesses they can trust. In an age of fleeting brand loyalty, it's important to make real connections with your consumers and show them who you really are. And most importantly, you need to step up because this increasingly sophisticated generation of consumers can easily smell inauthenticity. ”
—Janie Hoffman, Founder and CEO of Mamma Chia, an organic chia seed food and beverage company
“Our idea is to be as authentic as possible to Italian life:to live the old school Italian way, to grow our food, to cook from scratch, to raise and slaughter our chickens. We may not be Italian, but we have truly created an authentic experience for our guests; from our garden to the traditional seasonal local cuisine served, to the music played in the background at dinner. Even the Italians say we do it better than most of them. »
—Ashley Bartner, CEO and co-founder of La Tavola Marche, a farm, inn and cooking school in Italy
Before I could focus on authenticity with my brand…
I had to figure out what my brand was and what made us different from everyone else in our industry. My specific industry, tattooing and piercing, is filled with a group of people who are all genuine to the core. We have created a luxury tattoo and piercing brand. We really differentiated ourselves in the market by having an upscale, female-friendly environment where customers felt safe and clean.
One of the things that Tony Robbins rooted in my head is…
If you want to do something great, find out what other great people are doing and copy them. It is an approach. And I totally agree with that formula, but it's hard to be authentic when you're just copying someone else. For me, I had to create my brand and then find business formulas that I could copy and implement into my business structure.
People choose our store over others because…
They feel safe. They know we're going to do our best, so they trust us. Trust is an important element overlooked by other companies. They think lower prices and mass volume will mask what customers are getting, and I disagree with that. I prefer to eliminate the bottom of the market and put myself in this luxury bubble. I look at brands like Louis Vuitton or Tiffany:they don't try to be the cheapest or sell as much as they can. They prefer to hone their product to be a very high-end product where they know they have a small niche, but they will fit that niche perfectly.
My advice to future entrepreneurs is…
Find out who you are. are and what you want to represent as a brand before getting started.
—Sean Dowdell, CEO and co-founder of Club Tattoo, a luxury tattoo and piercing studio with six locations in Las Vegas and Arizona with over $10 million in annual revenue. Dowdell co-owns his company with Chester Bennington, the lead singer of rock band Linkin Park. His famous clients are Guy Fieri, Slash, Amar'e Stoudemire, Tyson Chandler and Miranda Lambert.
Related: What color should your brand be?
Courtesy of Tipsy Elves; Courtesy of Mamma Chia; Courtesy of Ashley Bartner; Sean Hartgrove
This article originally appeared in the September 2017 issue of SUCCESS magazine.
