This document summarizes the key findings from a large global study on brand authenticity. Some of the main points include: - Authenticity is important to consumers and how they define it may surprise brands. The study revealed an "authenticity deficit" where most consumers do not feel brands are authentic. - Consumers define authentic brands as those that demonstrate the "3 R's" - Reliable, Respectful, and Real. The Real dimension is the most challenging for many brands. - Food and beverage brands are seen as the most authentic industry globally, driven by perceptions of reliability. However, all industries can improve on being seen as more "real". - The study

1. Did Your Brand
Make the List?
The Authentic 100
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2. For the First Time Ever…
The largest global study on authenticity reveals the inescapable truth for brands. Authenticity is
more than a buzz word. It matters to consumers. And how they define authenticity might
surprise you. Take a look at the complex web of signals through the eyes of consumers and
the Authentic 100 Index – the most authentic brands in the world.
14
markets
1,600
brands
12,000
consumers
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3. Age of Authenticity – Two Key Drivers
Radical transparency Consumer Cynicism
and Anger

4. What inauthentic
behaviours are
threatening brands?
Our Global Anger
Meter shows the
proportion of global
respondents who
would be extremely
angry if a company
they dealt with did any
of the following…

5. Why does
authenticity
matter?
How do
consumers
define
authenticity?
Who are the
most authentic
brands?
Are there lessons
for brands?
FOUR QUESTIONS

6. WHY DOES
AUTHENTICITY
MATTER?
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7. Consumers are
clear about
Authenticity
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There is a True
“Authenticity Deficit”
in the Global
Marketplace
78%
78% of consumers do not think
brands are authentic

8. The
Relationship
Between Brands
and Consumers
is Broken
An “Authenticity Deficit”
becomes clear when you look
at what consumers value.
Less than one in 4 see brands
and companies delivering on
“open and honest.”
% Globally Agree that Brands and
Companies Today …
22%
23%
24%
25%
25%
25%
26%
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
Are open and honest
Uphold high values
Take full responsibility for their actions
Do what they say they are going to do
Make the world a better place
Can be trusted
Stay true to their purpose
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9. Around the
World,
Authenticity
is Lacking
Regardless of where you
live, lack of authenticity is a
challenge, with countries in
Western Europe leading the
cynicism.
Percent of Market that Says Brands/
Companies Today are “Open and Honest”
5%
7%
7%
7%
7%
9%
11%
13%
19%
19%
22%
23%
28%
35%
36%
0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% 40%
Sweden
Germany
France
UK
Spain
Italy
Hong Kong
Singapore
UAE
Brazil
Global
USA
India
Indonesia
China MOST
POSITIVE
MOST NEGATIVE
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10. In Spain, the
issue is even
greater.
Only 7% in
Spain agree
that companies
and brands are
open and
honest 7%
8%
10%
11%
12%
16%
22%
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
Are open and honest
Uphold high values
Do what they say they are going to do
Can be trusted
Make the world a better place
Take full responsibility for their actions
Stay true to their purpose
% in Spain agree that brands and companies today…

11. 88%
Nearly 90% of global
consumers will reward a
brand for its authenticity
%
Global
Will recommend it to others 52
Remain loyal to brand 49
Value the brand 48
Want to work for the company 20
Invest in the company 20
NET: checked any of the above 88
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And it Matters
Because
Authenticity
Translates
to the
Bottom Line

12. % Spain
Will recommend it to others 45%
Value that brand 45%
Remain loyal to brand 41%
Want to work for the company 17%
Invest in the company 12%
NET: checked any of the above 87%
Nearly 90% of people in Spain report that if a brand or company is authentic, it would
impact their behavior or attitudes toward the brand in a way that benefits that brand’s
business.
This is also definitely true in SPAIN

13. Authenticity Yields
Business Benefits
Regardless
of Market
From a high of 94% in
Indonesia to a low of 76%
in the UK, the large majority
of consumers report that
they will reward brands that
are authentic.
% Net Reward
76%
79%
81%
83%
86%
86%
87%
89%
89%
90%
92%
92%
93%
94%
50% 55% 60% 65% 70% 75% 80% 85% 90% 95% 100%
UK
Sweden
France
Germany
Hong Kong
Singapore
Spain
Italy
China
USA
Brazil
India
UAE
Indonesia
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14. HOW DO CONSUMERS
DEFINE
AUTHENTICITY?
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15. 15
✔
RELIABLE RESPECTFUL REAL
Consumers
Define
Authenticity as
the “3 R’s”
Authenticity is a function of how
much consumers perceive a
company or brand to be …

16. 16
Each R is a
cluster of
individual
attributes.
RELIABLE RESPECTFUL REAL
• Delivers on promises
• Is high quality
• Communicates
honestly
• Is genuine and real,
not artificial
• Acts with integrity
• Treats customers well
• Protects customer
privacy/data
✔

17. To Be Perceived As Authentic, Brands Can Gain
More by Focusing on What Consumers Experience
Versus What They Have to Learn
− Communicates honestly
− Is genuine and real, not artificial
− Acts with integrity
− Stays true to its values and purpose
− Is clear about its values and beliefs
− Socially responsible
− Environmentally responsible
− Responsible with respect to public’s health
− Delivers on promises
− Is high quality
RESPONSIBLE
PURPOSEFUL
− Treats customers well
− Protects customer privacy/data
CONSUMERS
MUST LEARN
CONSUMERS
DIRECTLY EXPERIENCE
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RELIABLE
RESPECTFUL
REAL

18. How a brand directly treats a consumer
(69%) is more important than how a brand
treats the planet (50%) or if a brand is
clear about its beliefs (51%)
69% 50% 51%
Treat the consumer
better than the
planet!
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19. The
Opportunity
for Brands
While all 3 R’s are critical
to driving perceptions of
authenticity, it is the “Real”
dimension where many
brands are challenged
• All three are desired, but the
average global brand actual
performance is lowest
for “Real.”
• Communications can play
a strong role in driving
perceptions of “Real.”
DESIRED
PERFORMANCE
ACTUAL
PERFORMANCE
This is the area where
many brands struggle
HIGH
LOW
HIGHLOW
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RELIABLE
RESPECTFUL
REAL

20. 0.0 5.0 10.0 15.0 20.0 25.0 30.0
Real
Respectful
Reliable
Global Spain
In Spain, the most challenging dimension of authenticity is to be
… Real
IN SPAIN, the average brand performance ON THE 3 R’S

21. WHO ARE THE MOST
AUTHENTIC BRANDS?
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22. 61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100
0
41
42
33
44
45
46
47
48
29
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
Meet the Authentic 100
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27
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32
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34
35
36
37
38
39
40
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23. 62 61 84 75
102 58 64 72
60 73 60 71
51 107 56 68
95 56 59 64
Percent Above The Global Average
on Each Cluster
The Top
Authentic
Brands
Deliver
on the
3 R’s
TOTAL
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RELIABLE RESPECTFUL REAL

24. The top 5 brands IN SPAIN deliver on the 3 R’s
Reliable Respectful Real
BMW 244 168 172
La Casera 189 172 214
El Corte Ingles 183 273 160
Apple 203 163 188
Balay 196 189 189
Treats
customers
well
Protects
customer
privacy & data
Is genuine
and real, not
artificial
Acts with
integrity at all
times
BMW 216 268 184 146 170 191 151
La Casera 229 156 193 144 211 244 181
El Corte
Ingles 179 187 259 291 160 127 198
Apple 170 231 169 156 183 197 181
Balay 223 175 182 199 235 145 192
NOTE: Each data point above is an index relative the average for the market’s brands. 100 indicates brand is average and numbers above 100 indicate the extent to which a brand is above
average, i.e., 120=brand is 20% higher than average and 80=brand is 20% lower than average
High quality
Delivers on
promises
Communicates
honestly

25. Food & beverage stands out as most authentic industry
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100
Industrial
Business services
Health
QSR
Energy
Telecommunciations
Financial
Travel
Apparel
Courier
Toys
Alcoholic beverages
Entertainment
Personal care
Fashion/apparel
Technology
Consumer goods
Automotive
Sports apparel
Retail
Luxury
Food and beverage
Authenticity Index

26. No industry stands out in “real”
Reliable Respectful Real
Alcoholic beverages 125 83 76
Apparel 129 89 65
Automotive 145 101 80
Business services 55 75 54
Consumer goods 145 94 89
Courier 108 113 74
Energy 85 87 51
Entertainment 114 81 82
Fashion/apparel 135 97 75
Financial 86 122 67
Food and beverage 156 103 101
Health 89 71 56
Industrial 87 58 51
Luxury 182 116 76
Personal care 125 97 82
QSR 72 73 50
Retail 107 134 88
Sports apparel 150 90 77
Technology 125 99 78
Telecommunciations 80 82 54
Toys 110 83 74
Travel 105 120 68
The strength of the
Food & Beverage industry is
its perceived Reliability
Luxury is also strong on
Reliability, but falls short on
Real, as do many industries

27. Authenticity profile for industry sectors
Reliable Respectful Real & Honest
Protects
customer
privacy and
data
Alcoholic beverages 107 101 113 80 73 88 89
Apparel 90 123 118 90 58 79 77
Automotive 107 133 142 94 85 84 96
Business services 45 46 87 89 53 54 73
Consumer goods 114 127 126 95 101 87 106
Courier 94 85 144 119 81 61 109
Energy 78 64 100 103 55 55 60
Entertainment 92 97 121 68 89 84 101
Fashion/apparel 95 128 137 90 74 80 93
Financial 74 69 129 156 81 53 94
Food and beverage 131 129 154 86 102 114 118
Health 61 87 79 86 59 54 74
Industrial 71 74 77 60 50 53 66
Luxury 110 189 175 97 64 97 89
Personal care 98 110 141 86 91 76 108
QSR 74 47 120 52 48 56 62
Retail 108 72 189 124 107 75 114
Sports apparel 105 142 131 80 80 86 88
Technology 99 109 127 104 91 75 94
Telecommunciations 64 70 90 103 65 46 71
Toys 73 108 127 67 68 90 83
Travel 83 92 160 121 74 65 88
Delivers on
promises
High quality
Treats
customers
well
Communicates
honestly
Is genuine
and real, not
artificial
Acts with
integrity at all
times

28. 28
Alcoholic Beverages Automotive Consumer Goods Fashion/Apparel
Financial Food & Beverage Personal Care
Retail Technology Telcomm Travel
Estrella Galicia
Heineken
Cruzcampo
Estrellla Damm
Alhambra
BMW
Audi
Volkswagen
Mercedes Benz
Harley Davidson
Balay
Ariel
Bosch
Flex
Roca
Calvin Klein
Chanel
Levi Strauss & Co
Lacoste
Zara
Paypal
ING
MasterCard
Allianz
Visa
La Casera
Danone
Central Lechera Asturiana
Font Vella
Nestlé
Colgate
Dodot
Johnson & Johnson
L'Oreal
Gillette
El Corte Ingles
Mercadona
Ikea
Carrefour
Eroski
Apple
Samsung
Google
Amazon
Sony
Vodafone
LG
Yoigo
ONO
Telefonica/Movistar
NH Hotels
RENFE
Melia Hotels
Hilton
Iberia
Top Brands By
Industry
Luxury
Rolex
Cartier
Louis Vuitton
Tiffany & Co.
Prada

29. ARE THERE
LESSONS FOR
BRANDS?
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30. • Spanish consumers are aligned with Western Europe in strongly noting an authenticity deficit
• They also share the universal desire to reward brands if they were to perceive them as authentic
• The biggest opportunity in defining authenticity for brands in Spain is in the Real category
• Spanish brands should therefore focus on how they manage the Authenticity attributes of
“Communicates Honestly”, “Is genuine and real, not artificial” and “Acts with integrity”
• The food & beverage industry is defined as the most authentic and its strength is in perceptions of
Reliability but can still improve across Respectful and Real
Opportunity for authentic brands in Spain

31. 1. Embrace the values of authenticity in your brand
2. Look to where your competitors are delivering
3. Are other sectors strong on areas your industry
could communicate more about?
4. Back to basics on data and privacy protection
5. A new conversation with consumers. From
on-message to open-question.Take the varnish off.
The New
Authenticity
Lessons

32.  How can more authentic behaviour increase our brand loyalty for existing customers?
 How can we use authenticity to reach out to new audiences?
 How does authenticity help us in fast-growth markets or revive our business in slow-growth
ones?
 What does a full-blown authentic brand strategy look like for us? What are the risks and
opportunities of taking it to the limit?
 How can more authenticity help a brand compete in a sector?
Authentic Brands Strategy

33. Authenticity Audit Mapping Authenticity - the Cohn & Wolfe model (using food
brand as an example)
Authentic
attributes
Relevance to
consumers
Relevance to
business &
brand
Performance Opportunity
Delivers on promises High Medium Medium Marketing claims review
Is high quality High Medium Medium Release all ingredient and
nutritional info
Treats customers well High High Medium Enhance social media
programmes
Protects customer privacy
& data
Medium Low Low Communication about
anonymization of retail
data
Communicates honestly Medium Medium Low Review of promotions
Acts with integrity at all
times
Medium Medium Not communicated Codify and communicate
brand ethics
Is open and honest about
its business practices
Medium Low Low Disclosure around supply
chain and journey

34. Data driven
communications
• Cohn & Wolfe has been studying authenticity
since 2012. We worked with 12,000
consumers in 14 markets to assess
perceptions on 7 reputational attributes.
• Through this data, Cohn & Wolfe has a
diagnostic tool that can now offer data-driven
recommendations on how brands can
improve authenticity and overall reputation in
key markets.
Delivers on promises
Is high quality
Treats customers well
Protects customer privacy and data
Communicates honestly
Acts with integrity at all times
Is open and honest about its business practices
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35. WANT TO
LEARN MORE?
WANT TO SEE HOW
YOUR BRAND
STACKS UP?
CONTACT
US!
authentic100@cohnwolfe.com
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