The quest for genuine “authenticity” has brought about a paradox of obtensibility, where corporates overuse the word "authentic" to describe mass-produced goods, AI-generated voices, and highly scripted influencer partnerships.
Public relations agencies treat authenticity as their ultimate weapon because they believe it functions as a special ingredient which can transform corporate disasters into desirable situations. Today, the word has developed into a deceptive warning signal among audiences. As a leading public relations company in Delhi, we have experienced this dramatic shift, where a brand that uses the term "authentic" to describe itself just ends up creating a sceptic, if not a false identity.
For our clients, we have observed that we exist in a world where people create false sincerity through which authentic experiences undergo development into commercial products that legal departments must approve. The situation represents more than a marketing problem; it shows people fail to understand how their social relationships progress. PR campaigns might waste millions trying to create an authentic presence because they believe they can build an actual identity through strategic execution, which results in empty displays that modern audiences can easily see through.
The Approval Loop and the Death of Spontaneity
Authenticity exists as a natural result of human character development, instead of existing as a branding element that organisations use for marketing purposes. The existing corporate environment mandates that authentic impulses undergo an extensive process which involves multiple departments before they can obtain approval, which ultimately prevents their execution. The public sees only a sanitised version of the "raw" behind-the-scenes video and the "heartfelt" CEO statement, which has been transformed into an easily digestible format. People see only a fake representation of reality, which lacks all authentic elements. The public uses perfectionism as their primary indicator to identify potential risks. People find connection with others through their ability to make mistakes, which includes stumbling and stuttering and offering unscripted apologies. The brand shows that it prefers to protect its public appearance instead of revealing its authentic self through its decision to hide its brand defects.
The Changing Psychology of Gen Z and Millennials
People of the Gen Z and Millennial age groups have formed a psychological defence mechanism which protects them from corporate theatrical displays. The current generation has grown up during a time when digital forgeries and Instagram-perfect images existed, which developed their powerful ability to detect insincere behaviour through the faintest signs of fake compassion. Your audience performs an extensive examination of your content instead of simply watching it. The use of youth slang by large corporations and their declaration of being a family organisation while they fail to meet their employees' fundamental requirements creates a disconnection which results in an unfixable social embarrassment.
The challenge for a PR Company at hand extends beyond poor aesthetic choices because people refuse to accept deceptive information. The increased efforts of a brand must be to present itself as "down to earth" and increase the visibility of its actual distance from authentic human experiences.
The Jargon Shield and the Cowardice of "Alignment"
Beyond the visuals, the very language of the modern workplace has become a tool for evasion. Many think that the fortress we built from our corporate language protects us, and they use terms like 'synergy', 'alignment' and 'leveraging'. But at TYC Communication, a leading PR company based in Delhi, we see corporate language as a defensive mechanism of leaders who lack the courage to communicate their thoughts directly.
Creating Real Brand of Communication
The practice of "circling back on core values" functions as a method to delay progress. The linguistic fog creates two problems for people because it develops into a deep distrust. In other words, jargon exists as the audible expression of someone who lacks anything valuable to share but fears experiencing quietness. The speaking style functions as the most complete form of anti-authenticity because it prevents people from understanding your actual intentions. Thus, for our clients, we at TYC Communication focus on building a character that is genuine and human, rather than a seemingly polished yet unapproachable image.
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