From Our CEO
A couple of years ago, GolinHarris published “The Next 50 Years,” a booklet intended to share our view of the future and how emerging trends would impact communications. Among our predictions, we suggested that the United States would soon elect an African-American president. We also said that authenticity would emerge as central to earning trust.
Every day the world’s political and business leaders perform in front of voters, employees, stockholders and the general public. Every word is weighed, every deed dissected — in print, on air, online and in person. In terms of depth of scrutiny and length of exposure, no stage matched the American presidential election campaign, which became a referendum on reality.
In the 2008 election, many of the candidates were authentic — at least to certain segments of the population. Hillary Clinton was a hard-working woman who understood the plight of the blue collar worker. John McCain was a war hero and a maverick. Sarah Palin was a small town hockey mom who loved to hunt. And Barack Obama was an unflappable change agent with a diverse, multicultural background. No matter its form, authenticity now rules. It is the fulcrum upon which trust is given, fortunes are made and elections are won. But as this election demonstrated, it isn’t enough to simply be authentic. It is how that authenticity is applied.
In the end, was the winner more real than the others? Or did Obama just convey his message so consistently and effectively that voters grew comfortable with who he really was?
Since we first suggested that authenticity is “permeating our culture and changing our business,” countless academics have written articles on the importance of being authentic. We now live in a world where there are no secrets . . . on the campaign trail, in Hollywood, on Wall Street or anywhere else. All public-facing organizations will come to realize that they must honestly define who they are, and then candidly tell their story. That is no longer a secret. But the logical real world questions remain unanswered: Where do I get it? And how should I communicate it?
The answers lie in how we apply authenticity. That is the key to victory even in the most challenging times. Where transparency dominates. Where spin evaporates. Where you get results — if you Get Real.
The purpose of our latest thinking on authenticity, which we call Get Real is to deconstruct the concept of authenticity so you may apply it to your particular circumstance. Consider it an owner’s manual . . .a twelve-step program for Authentic change.
I invite you to read or listen to Get Real and share your comments on thoughts on Authenticity with me by following me on Twitter (link to follow Fred at www.twitter.com/fredcook). I look forward to hearing from you.
Sincerely,
Fred