4 Ways to Obtain the Holy Grail of Brand Authenticity

The best marketers understand that no one wants to be sold to, even if the products are as fresh and healthy as the ones you grow. As fresh produce marketers, we have to find ways to help consumers see behind the curtain at who we really are; we have to be authentic. So what does it mean to be ‘authentic’ anyway, and how can your fresh produce brand showcase authenticity while ultimately still looking to sell your products? Here are four easy-to-execute tactics that will help your brand obtain the “holy grail of authenticity” and inspire more engagement:

Document your field to fork story

People want to share in the journey of their food and understand where it came from. Whether that be on their plates or in a grocery aisle, consumers want to see the path that led their asparagus and lemons to their plates. Give people a glimpse on social media of your fields and the seed to plant to plate process it takes to deliver your product to their homes using photos and video. For example, a series of short videos documenting an artichoke seed being planted and then later being harvested is a great story. Take photos in the fields and even of product being loaded onto a truck regularly to document the journey. And you don’t need a massive budget or camera crews to do this; Phone videos and photos will do the trick.

Showcase the people and faces behind the brand

More often than not, photos and videos showcasing people will organically perform better on social than just photos of product alone. Instagram posts involving faces perform 38% better. Show the growers, the harvesting process, and the individuals that put incredible time into delivering the product. Don’t be afraid to show the team at events or interacting in different situations and telling personal stories about why they love what they do. Showcasing community involvement also allows the audience to see your core values and other passions, ultimately humanizing your brand.

Be available and respond quickly

Audiences like for brands to engage and respond to them quickly. 42% of consumers on social media expect to get a response from a brand within 60 minutes. Responses should be friendly and personable in order to appear genuine. Most of all, don’t ignore consumer messages or comments! Responding is crucial when it comes to maintaining a good rapport with your audience.

Don’t shy away from live, spur of the moment content

Story tools, such as Instagram or Facebook stories, are perfect to share quick moments that may not necessarily be on your content calendar. Answer the questions consumers would typically turn to a search engine for to set yourself up as a resource going forward. Live videos and stories help to bring your audience into the experience of being in your fields without actually being there. No need to edit or filter!

If you’d like simple measuring stick to understand how authentic you are, try to focus 80% of your content on providing value to the audience, and 20% on self-promotion. Pitch yourself less and instead provide content that is both inspirational and truthful. Contact us at info@dma-solutions.com  if you’d like support to bring a strategy like this to life for your own brand!

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