Experiencing authenticity

Last week my colleague Amy Foster and I interviewed authors James H. Gilmore and B. Joseph Pine II for the fall issue of The Lawlor Review. It turned out to be an authentic and memorable experience.

For those unfamiliar with Gilmore and Pine, they are the authors of the national bestseller The Experience Economy and have just released their newest book, Authenticity: What Consumers Really Want (Harvard Business School Press). They are also the co-founders of Strategic Horizons LLP, a self-described "thinking studio that helps companies design new ways to add value."

We find their message of authenticity very relevant to today's college marketplace. In fact, we have been talking about authenticity for years, but Gilmore and Pine have much louder voices in the marketplace than Lawlor.

Prospective students and families are seeking real, genuine and authentic college experiences. In the process of discerning what is real or fake, students and families utilize a variety of resources to learn about a college. Students are looking for fit, or as Gilmore and Pine shared with us, "People buy because of personal conformity. Individuals say 'I like that. I am like that.' This process of buying ultimately ends up being a conformance to self image."
What people see, hear, read and experience shape their perceptions of authenticity. All of those sensory cues are brand touchpoints that speak to institutional authenticity. If these touchpoints lack consistency, they invite questioning of the authenticity and legitimacy of the institutional promise and experience.

As we have noted before, students today have wonderful BS barometers and demand authenticity. Offering and communicating the real and authentic qualities of an institution on a consistent basis at all touchpoints creates a brand of trust. As the inside book cover of Authenticity states, "Satisfy consumers' demands for authenticity—across every kind of offering—and you'll capture their hearts, minds, and dollars."