Advertising, communication, strategy: what if authenticity and a return to roots were the new battlehorse for brands?

Note : Ce chapitre initialement publié en 2018 fait partie d’une série de course on Social Media, the summary of which can be found here.

In 2012, I told you about my feelings about the trend of navel-gazing and ego-tripping on social networks. Une mode qui fut un véritable raz-de-marée, au cours de laquelle chacun s’est mis à raconter sa propre vie au travers des réseaux sociaux et de son smartphone, relayant le dialogue et l’échange, aussi bien gratuit qu’intéressé, au second plan.

A vein therefore over-exploited by brands, starting with applications such as Snapchat and Instagram, which have done everything to ensure that the user is as starified as possible.

Aujourd’hui, accompagnant ce mouvement d’individualisation exacerbée, il y a fort à parier qu’une nouvelle tendance soit en train d’éclore.

A l’aune de la destruction ressentie des nations et de la remise en question de la mondialisation, et dans un mouvement de retour aux sources plus ou moins orchestré, les consommateurs auront probablement besoin de repères et de differentiation.

After the standardization of morals, food and fashion, the time will come to self-affirmation, bringing certain local customs up to date, and an assumed promotion of authenticity, whatever it is, wherever it comes from.

Now all the city centers in France are the same
The same fucking Fnac, Mc Do, Foot Locker, Célio, Zara, H&M.

Orelsan, Change

Tired of finding the same products in Paris, Bordeaux or Brussels, consumers will have every reason to demand originality and authenticity. And some brands have understood this well.

The search for the inimitable Self

I take away all hope from you on this side: the ego-trip is there and is not likely to disappear for the moment. And in this desire to shine through image and appearance, the Self becomes King. And who says Me and King, says uniqueness and singularity.

This quest for singularity should thus promote originality, authenticity and quality, whether in the chosen clothing style, the adoption of certain practices, the use of certain tools, and consumption in general.

Whether in the world of advertising, communication or fashion: authenticity has already begun to be the new trademark of brands.

The desire to be integrated into communities

At a time when we live in an ultra-connected world, it is difficult to live like a hermit. The inimitable self is therefore not incompatible with integration into communities. And it will indeed be about communities in the plural, où l’individu passera de l’une à l’autre sans complexes, et sans attaches. La satisfaction du Moi devra passer avant tout autre chose.

The individual can then embrace the codes of one or the other community, and quickly change mood and consumption patterns. The agent will then become very volatile, and building loyalty will require ultra-functional and fast solutions, promotions, premium support and… strong positioning! Which then passes through the authentic and the original.

The return of nationalism...

Whether we are for or against, we cannot deny the return to power of nationalisms. De nombreux pays dans le monde ont vu émerger des gouvernements d’extrême-droite ou alliés avec l’extrême-droite, ainsi que des mouvements populistes.

These movements, which constitute a reaction to globalization which has left its mark with more or less success, are attached to a return to borders, to sovereignty, to national identity, and to less “progressive” values on the societal level.

Do the victories won by these political movements have any influence on the consumption patterns of agents? Nothing is less sure. However, there is an ambivalence that is worth highlighting…

In the minds of globalists, each country would only be a passage, a “hotel” in which we would set foot temporarily.

In this ultra-globalized context, cities and cosmopolitan megacities have become direct competitors of States. Even if it means replacing national culture with an urban cosmopolitan culture, shaped by various influences.

Haven't you noticed this trend on social networks to claim several cities (NYC, Paris, Dubai, etc.), rather than one origin?

However, this multicultural, urban way of thinking, detached from its roots, goes completely against the current trend which is characterized by a return to the sources, by “made in France”, and by the growing rejection of major global brands.

However, the ambivalence lies in the fact that this return to basics is accompanied by a celebration of multiculturalism; designers, for example, today use clothes and fabrics typical of certain peoples of the world to mix them with others in fashion shows highlighting the historical beauty of the authentic.

We then sell the original in a universalist gloubi boulga, in accordance with the globalist spirit of big cities.

…recovered by its opposite: liberal globalism!

If there is no doubt about the rejection of globalism, it is a safe bet that in the end, large companies, starting with GAFA, industrial groups, large textile brands, the agri-food industry, exploit this fashion of returning to local, ancestral and tangible consumption.

These will therefore be the most universal brands, those with the greatest economies of scale, those that crush everything in their path, who will sell authenticity to consumers who were looking for local, ethical, organic, environmentally friendly, qualitative, original and authentic alternatives.

What conclusions can be drawn ?

Whether you are an entrepreneur or a manager, I invite you to think about this trend and to act upstream in your activities and your business.

In the world of fashion

We will give pride of place to new innovative, ethical and health-safe fabrics.

On the web and in the service sector

We will witness the advent of the hyper-local : after having chased away local artisans, bakers and other cheese makers, consumers will demand them again.

In the franchise universe

Il faudra envisager de mettre en avant le côté « artisan » et « indépendant » du franchisé, et to attenuate as much as possible the image of the large capitalist and financial group which oppresses the independent.

In the food

A real return to ancestral and authentic cuisines va s’opérer. Selon moi, les prochains à souffrir le plus seront les restaurants de sushis, dont le marché est déjà complètement saturé, les burgers premium, qui auront une image de nourriture malsaine, hybride et originaire du snobisme new-yorkais mondialisé, ainsi que la junk food et les enseignes de fast-food en général.

Will be honored regional cuisines, Italian cuisine – which is in full swing – authentic Asian cuisines, Mediterranean cuisine and obviously la cuisine végétarienne et pourquoi pas des cuisines hyper spécialisées comme des restaurants à thème (keto, paléo, etc…).

Limites du modèle authentique

L’un des enjeux pour les entrepreneurs sera de renforcer l’expérience vécue en magasin afin de contrer le mondialisme digitalisé, avec des produits très affirmés, ou des décors immersifs.

Mais dans cette quête d’authenticité, la guerre de l’expérience risque malheureusement d’emmener le consommateur dans un univers en toc, avec un tas d’efforts concentrés sur l’expérience (ou sur l’ethnicité d’un tissu par exemple), mais plus aucun effort consenti sur la qualité du produit ou du service, avec à la clé des parodies de restaurants, de vêtements ou de services.

Exemple : un salon de coiffure ou de beauté très cher où on passera beaucoup de temps à pomponner le client dans un lieu très léché aux frontières du coffee shop, mais où on pêchera sur le rapport qualité / prix et surtout le temps gaspillé pour le client qui risque de redemander du pratique et du fonctionnel. En d’autres termes, le fonctionnel pourrait bien être la tendance d’après…

Sans oublier que dans ce monde nombrilisé et hyper-connecté, le consommateur se veut beaucoup moins fidèle à une marque, et beaucoup plus volatile, tandis que les modes ont des durées de vie de plus en plus courtes, ce qui ne laisse rien présager de bon quand on a investi de grosses sommes dans une décoration hyper immersive et expériencielle.

Conclusion : basez votre communication sur l’authenticité, sans perdre en efficacité et en bon rapport qualité / prix

The promotion of authenticity as a value and commercial argument will, in my opinion, flood the market. It will therefore be necessary adapt your products and your story-telling pour ne pas prendre la vague en pleine face. Néanmoins, il faudra garder le bon rapport qualité / prix, et ne pas perdre le client dans un univers féérique en toc qui ne survivrait pas à une simple mode.

And you what do you think ? Does this trend give you ideas for projects to undertake?