Brand authenticity and scepticism: staying true to your brand

In today’s hyper-aware digital landscape, brand authenticity is a critical measure of trust and loyalty, and it relies on a strong value proposition. With information at our fingertips, consumers are more sceptical than ever. They know when a brand’s marketing tactics are performative. And they’re not afraid to call out inauthenticity, and so called ‘slacktivism’.

When a brand's values are unclear, or if there’s a gap between what it says and what it does, mistrust begins to grow. Over time, that mistrust breeds scepticism – and once consumers feel you’re being disingenuous, regaining their trust is very difficult.

So, how can brands stay true to their values and maintain their authenticity?

The fine line between good intentions and empty gestures

In many cases, brands aren't intentionally misleading their audiences. They just don’t have a solid value proposition to refer to. And because of this, often, the problem stems from a lack of alignment between internal values and external messaging.

But the result is the same: consumers spot the inconsistency and question your motives.

A clear example of this disconnect is what’s now widely called “rainbow washing.” This term is used to describe brands that visibly support Pride Month – think rainbow logos, Pride parade sponsorships, and colourful Instagram posts – without showing any meaningful commitment to the LGBTQIA+ community in their operations, culture, or values.

This is both performative and reductive and will cause mistrust, and in some cases, massive fallout.

Brand authenticity: when marketing backfires

Consumers are quick to scrutinise whether a brand’s actions match its messaging. If you roll out a rainbow-themed ad campaign in June, but your company lacks inclusive policies or representation, that gap becomes obvious – and harmful.

These marketing missteps can easily backfire. A brand meant to inspire inclusion may end up going viral for all the wrong reasons. Across social media, users create memes and posts that expose the mismatch between public image and corporate reality.

Once authenticity is questioned, trust erodes. And it’s difficult for a brand to recover in a competitive marketplace.

The problem isn’t that brands support social causes. It’s that consumers now demand substance behind the symbols. Support has to go deeper than a seasonal campaign. It has to be embedded in hiring practices, leadership diversity, supplier choices, internal culture, and ongoing actions.

E45 – Campaign

E45’s recent ‘Me + My Skin’ campaign is a brilliant example of value and commitment in action within a brand campaign. E45 has always been clear about it’s mission and purpose as a product – to help nourish and nurture all skin types.

So, building on this, the team behind this campaign used a specific insight to inform their approach – we all feel emotionally and physically uncomfortable when our skin is uncomfortable.

This then led them to find a community that felt the most uncomfortable in their skin, and tailor the product to that particular group.

The trans community is very often overlooked, and the changes that happen to skin during transition are barely spoken about. As noted in the Drum:

While conversations about diversity and inclusion in advertising are nothing new, the dermatological effects of gender transition have rarely been acknowledged in consumer health comms. For E45, that gap presented both a purpose-led opportunity and a clear product role.

So, through interviews and building connections, the E45 team set about understanding the specific needs, wants and perspectives of trans women in the community.

This purpose-led and inclusive approach is clear within the campaign, which was so successful that it won the Grand Prix award at The Drum Awards for Marketing EMEA 2025.

And crucially, the thought and purpose behind this campaign is in keeping with their rest of their brand.

What’s the key to maintaining brand authenticity?

The answer? Alignment.

When your internal values, external messaging, and customer experience all work together to reflect the same truth, you can nurture a relationship with your consumer base – one that’s built on trust.

A solid brand value proposition leads to customer trust and loyalty.

• Don’t just say you support a cause – choose one that aligns with your mission or company culture, and commit to supporting it year round
• Don’t launch a campaign unless it reflects your core values
• Be honest. It goes without saying, transparency is key to maintaining relationships with customers.

And remember: be authentic, never performative.

You can read our eBook on Brand Authenticity for more tips. Or get in touch. Or both!