The Truth About
Authenticity in Branding
Tonnie Chamblee + Greg deSantis
Authenticity Matters. We all know this. And yet, somewhere along the way, authenticity got lost. Slowly, collectively replaced.
These days, if you search for authenticity in branding, what you’ll find instead is “transparency.” That’s what most people are actually writing about—even if their titles, their hashtags, and their headlines say otherwise. It sounds similar, feels familiar. It even shares a family resemblance. But it’s not the same.
Transparency matters too. It’s important. It builds trust.
But transparency is not authenticity.
Transparency is evidence. Transparency is Patagonia showing its receipts. Here’s where we sustainably source our materials, here’s who ethically makes our clothes—explaining, in great detail, the full lifecycle of a jacket. Transparency says, here’s what we believe—and here’s the data that backs it up.
But authenticity doesn’t need to show you proof. To conflate the two is like saying your best friend isn’t authentic unless he tells you how much he earns and what medications he takes.
Transparency is about disclosure. Authenticity is about alignment. Authenticity asks: Do the things I say match the person I am?
Authenticity isn’t proven. It’s felt. You don’t measure it with metrics. You recognize it the way you recognize a familiar face across a crowded room.
Somewhere along the way, authenticity got lost. Slowly, replaced by “transparency.”
So What is Authenticity, Really?
Some people say the word doesn’t belong in branding at all. Seth Godin, for one, has argued that authenticity is a trap. That it encourages people—or companies—to act on their feelings instead of sticking to the promises they’ve made. He says: Be consistent, not authentic. Because consistency is what customers can rely on.
And he’s not wrong, not entirely. The version of authenticity Seth Godin is talking about—raw, emotional, erratic—conflicts with professionalism. We’ve all seen people “being real” in ways that aren’t constructive. That’s not authenticity. That’s a lack of boundaries.
Authenticity isn’t about being unfiltered. It’s about something quieter. Something stronger.
It’s about being true. You can feel the difference. You know it in your gut.
Think about that friend—the one who suddenly changes as soon as someone important walks into the room. You’ve known her for years. You’ve laughed with her, cried with her, shared secrets in late-night texts. But suddenly, she’s formal. Her laugh changes. She’s careful with her words. You watch her from across the table and think: Where did she go?
That’s what it feels like when a brand forgets who it is.
And unfortunately, many do. They button themselves up. They speak in buzzwords and jargon, afraid to sound human. They invest in aesthetics instead of presence. They try so hard to appear credible that they forget to be recognizable.
They button themselves up. They speak in buzzwords and jargon, afraid to sound human. They try so hard to appear credible that they forget to be recognizable.
You can feel it when a brand is faking it.
It’s polished, it’s pretty—but it’s hollow. There’s no heartbeat.
It’s that used-car-salesman energy—too eager, too glossy, all flash and no substance. Or it’s the tech product on the shelf in the pretty white box. Minimalist. Intriguing. But after thirty seconds of turning it over in your hands, you realize: you still have no idea what’s actually inside.
Authenticity does not mean that you have to confess every detail and be brutally honest about everything you do.
Remember the movie ‘Liar, Liar?’ Jim Carrey plays a lawyer who, due to a magical curse, becomes physically incapable of telling a lie. The result is, of course, chaotic. He blurts out everything—the awkward, the irrelevant, the inappropriate.
That’s not authenticity. That’s compulsion.
Authenticity isn’t about saying everything. It’s about saying the right things—the things that matter—and saying them in a way that lines up with who you are and how you work.
When you do that—when you tell the truth about who you are and why you do what you do—you don’t just sound good. You feel real to the people who matter. You create a connection that can’t be faked.
It Takes Courage.
Sometimes, what matters most isn’t what you say. It’s what you do. Because being authentic means standing in your truth, even when it’s not the most popular or the most profitable option.
Sunday is one of the busiest days for fast food chains, but Chick-fil-A closes every Sunday—not for logistics or labor shortages, but because of the founder’s faith. They lose millions in revenue every year. And they’ve made that decision, again and again.
Nike put Colin Kaepernick—the most polarizing athlete in America at the time—at the center of a national campaign. They knew it could trigger a backlash—even a boycott. They did it anyway.
These aren’t examples of transparency. Nike didn’t show us spreadsheets about carbon neutrality. Chick-fil-A didn’t produce a commercial about their ethical farms. These were decisions made in alignment with values—even when it was risky. Especially when it was risky.
These were decisions made in alignment with values—even when it was risky. Especially when it was risky.
Start With What You Know to be True.
Does that mean your brand has to pick a side in every culture war? Of course not. Authenticity doesn’t demand controversy. But it does demand clarity. Clarity about what you value. How you treat people. Why you work the way you do. And the courage to express those truths consistently, even when no one’s watching. Even when it would be easier not to.
It’s about being the same person—or the same brand—whether you’re standing in a spotlight or talking to one person behind closed doors.
And when you do that—when you stop performing and start expressing—something remarkable happens. People trust you. Not because you convinced them, but because you clicked with them. Because your story felt familiar. Because the way you spoke sounded like the truth.
So if you’re building a brand, don’t start with what you think your customers want to hear. Start with what you know to be true. About your team. Your work. Your why.
Authenticity is finding and being your best self in every situation.. Not perfectly. Not exhaustively. But honestly and courageously.
It’s just that simple.
Composed with human insight, creativity, and perspective, and developed with AI assistance.
C O N T A C T
Tonnie Chamblee
CoFounder, Brand Strategist
Email Tonnie:
Text Tonnie:
571.213.2434
950 North Washington Street
3rd Floor
Alexandria VA 22314-2393
© Copyright 2025,
Design Alliance Holdings, LLC
Design Alliance is a US Registered Trademark of Design Alliance, LLC.
C O N T A C T
Tonnie Chamblee
CoFounder, Brand Strategist
Email Tonnie:
Text Tonnie:
571.213.2434
950 North Washington Street
3rd Floor
Alexandria VA 22314-2393
© Copyright 2025,
Design Alliance Holdings, LLC
Design Alliance is a US Registered Trademark of Design Alliance, LLC.