The goal isn't to appeal to everyone. It's to attract your kind of people by being you.
Have you ever followed a creator or brand where you feel pulled into their world with every post or story? The kind where the person behind it feels like someone you'd be friends with, or that work buddy you'd happily grab a coffee with at lunch?
Someone whose dark sense of humour is right up your alley, whose effortless dress sense is aspirational, or whose love of Halloween is exactly what lights you up. To the point that whatever they're actually selling kinda comes second to their personality. And whether you do ever buy from them or not, you feel like you would trust them with your purchase regardless.
Well, sweet reader...
That's the power of authentic branding.
What exactly is ‘authentic branding’, anyway?
Authentic branding is about building a consistent brand presence that genuinely reflects who you are, what you stand for and how you do things. That might mean you, if you're the face and brains behind your business, or the proverbial you of your brand, as if it were a person. Because that's the goal, really.
It's the personality, values and little quirks that make your business your business, rather than just another one of what's already out there.
It's not about trying to be the funniest, coolest or most relatable brand on the internet. Or copying other 'cool' brands that have already carved out their own lane.
It's about understanding what makes your business inherently different, then letting those things shine through in how you show up in the world. Spoiler: it's usually a combination of things, rather than one big, shiny answer. And that's where the magic lies. A glorious mix.
When a brand makes someone feel like “they’re my kind of people”, something rather lovely happens.
Why does authenticity matter?
1. Firstly, it builds trust
We're all a little sceptical of overnight businesses and flashy influencers these days. The overblown promises, suspiciously immediate transformations, and overly manicured photos and lifestyles. Or a downright dead-in-the-soul AI nothingness that makes it easier to relate to a banana than a soulless plug-and-play prompt shemozzle.
When every brand is trying to look the ‘most professional’ and appear the best in the biz, it can all start to look rather… boring. And unrelatable. Stripped of any personality or depth.
Here’s looking at you, medical industry!
Authenticity, however, gives people something more meaningful to connect with. Something more… more offbeat, a little unexpected, and lot more relatable. When what you say and show starts to feel more in line with who you are, less show-off and more open-up, people get a clearer sense of what to expect from you and where you’re coming from. And what you might have in common.
And that clarity builds confidence in your business.
Like, I’d much rather go to a doctor who has a website that isn’t just clinical blue and grey, who speaks plain English and has a photo of the doctor with a huge smile on their face and a bio about how they’re a normal human outside of their job, and then their qualifications. That’s a lot more reassuring than a clinically dead, fact-job website that has no feeling of humanity in it during a possibly terrible time of your life. But that can’t just be me, right?
2. It attracts your people
Here's the thing: you cannot appeal to absolutely everyone. You’re not a french fry. And even then, there are some people who don’t like chips. So…
The more you try to appeal to everyone, the more likely you are to strip away the little eccentricities you think might be too 'unprofessional' (whatever that actually means). You start worrying you're too much of X or not enough of Y, and before you know it, you've ironed out all the things that make you unique.
In my latest brand refresh, I was so scared to introduce a “funky” font and depart from the very safe, clean one I’ve used for years. Like, unnecessarily scared. But by playing it safe, it just took away the very essence of my brand’s goal of being centered around having personality, and embracing your weird. I was worried that big “professional” agencies or brands wouldn’t want to work with me because my website was too fun.
But that was the whole point. The very thing I was worried might put people off is also the energy I bring to their projects.
Your personality, values and overall look help people decide whether you're their kind of business or not. And not everyone is going to want that. But those that do… oh boy!
Someone who wants their house to have a clean, beige, minimal aesthetic would be attracted to an interior designer whose work and website show just that. But someone who loves colour, pattern and pizzazz would avoid them and find someone whose work is OTT and feels downright PERFECT to them.
And that's exactly what you want!
Authentic branding helps attract people who genuinely connect with what you do, rather than simply those who happen to need what you sell.
That connection can make the difference between a one-off transaction and the beginning of a rather lovely working relationship.
You're not trying to win a popularity contest here, mate.
3. It makes your brand more memorable
Think about the brands you love following.
Go on. Do it!
Fine then, I’ll start…
Off the top of my head, some of my fave brands to follow are Scratch, the ”really healthy Australian dog food” with great illustrations and spunky anti-cat copy (see below); Liquid Death, which has somehow made plain water one of the coolest, most hard-core, smartest and most tongue-in-cheek brands around; Mosh, which is ”Men’s health stuff made easy” - I’m totally not their target market, but I follow them for their delightful illustration and quirky, easily-digestable content. Their brand is so good they make me want to learn about men’s health. That’s how good it is.
So as you see, it's not just because they offer a good product or service.
There's something extra about their personality, their sassy way of communicating or the way they make you feel that sticks with you. Or maybe they have a wonderfully recognisable visual style that makes you want to keep the empty packaging or wear their merch (guilty!).
Whatever it is, they've given you something to remember beyond their name, a list of features or a bag of dog kibble.
4. It builds loyalty beyond the transaction
A customer might come to you because they need their garden tamed. A logo designed. A kitchen built.
But what makes them choose you, and come back?
Often, it's the experience of dealing with you, even before you've officially started working together. The way you make them feel understood, the values you share and the quality you consistently deliver. Maybe even the happy tears you make them cry.
Authentic branding helps establish those expectations from the get-go.
Is your brand welcoming and reassuring, so customers feel comfortable asking questions without worrying they'll look silly? Do you prioritise sustainability, so environmentally conscious customers can feel better about their choices? Is your approach built around humour and having a good time, making the process feel enjoyable rather than stressful? Are you your customers' biggest cheerleader, helping them leave feeling confident and empowered?
When this brand personality carries through from your website and marketing through to your customer service and the actual experience of working with you, people get a consistent sense of who you are.
Over time, that familiarity builds trust, and trust nurtures relationships.
And as you probably already know, relationships are rather important things to have in business because they lead to repeat purchases, referrals and customers who actively choose you over a competitor, even when cheaper alternatives exist. Because, obviously… They prefer (and love) working with YOU.
Disclaimer though… Personality alone won't keep customers loyal if your product is rubbish. Authenticity needs to be backed up by what you can actually deliver, consistently.
Now, how to bring more authenticity into your own brand
Right, enough about why it matters. Let's talk about how to put it into practice.
You don't need to reinvent your business or start oversharing your personal life on the ‘gram. You just need to get clearer about who you are and let that come through in how you show up.
1. Know what makes you different
It's easy to define your business by what it does. You're a designer, a financial adviser, a bakery or a software company. Lovely.
But what makes your version of that business different?
Ask yourself:
What do I genuinely believe about my industry?
What's different about my approach?
What do my best clients appreciate about working with me?
If my brand were a person at a dinner party, how would I describe them?
You're not looking for a list of impressive adjectives. You're looking for the things that genuinely make your business distinctive, whether that's being refreshingly straightforward in an industry full of jargon (see previous rant about doctors…) or believing business can still be professional without taking itself too seriously.
That's where your brand personality begins.
2. Let your personality shine, in words and visuals
If your website could belong to any business in your industry with a quick logo swap, it's probably time to rethink how you're presenting yourself.
Phrases like "we put our customers first", "we deliver innovative solutions", “we make your brand stand out” aren't necessarily wrong. They're just not terribly revealing. And your competitors probably say the same thing.
So, instead of claiming to be different, show people what makes your approach different. Find the words that sound natural coming from you, whether that's warm and reassuring, direct and no-nonsense or sprinkled with a healthy dose of humour or colourful words.
Then give your visuals the same treatment.
Your colours, typography, imagery and illustrations should all communicate something special and descriptive about your business, rather than simply following the latest trends, or opting for stock photos or AI-generated filler.
Hand-drawn illustrations, for example, can add warmth, character and individuality (and ownability) that generic stock imagery often struggles to achieve. A bespoke illustration library can give your brand its own instantly recognisable visual language across your website and marketing.
You don't need to suddenly embrace bright colours, quirky typography or a mascot with a name that sounds like a cheese snack (although I'm certainly not opposed…). You just need visuals and words that feel like a natural extension of who you are.
3. Be consistent, not perfect
Authenticity isn't about sharing every detail of your life or forcing an opinion on every. single. trending topic, or doing some silly dance for a popular reel. It's about showing up in a way that feels consistent with who you are.
Share the thinking behind your work, talk about the values that influence your decisions and let people see a little of the person behind the business.
Most importantly, make sure the experience people have with you matches the expectations your branding creates. If you promise a friendly, personal service, your customer interactions should reflect that. If you say you care about accessibility or sustainability, those values should show up consistently and actually be put into action.
You don't need to be perfect. You do need to be genuine.
The takeaway? Be more of yourself.
Authentic branding won't make everyone fall in love with your business. That was never the goal. What you want is a brand that genuinely reflects who you are and communicates what makes you different, so the right people can find you and love you for it.
When people recognise something they relate to in your brand, you're no longer just another business offering a product or service. You're a business they understand, remember and feel good about choosing.
You don't need to become someone else to build a memorable brand. You just need to give people a better sense of who you already are.
And if you're not quite sure how to translate that into a brand yourself, well, that just happens to be my cup of tea.
At Studio Slatem, I help growing businesses build personality-driven branding and bespoke hand-drawn illustrations that make their brands feel more human, more memorable and unmistakably their own.
Ready to give your brand more personality?
Hi, I’m Amy!
Through hand-drawn illustration and thoughtful design, I help businesses around the world bring more personality to their brands, so they can connect better with their people, make a lasting impression and feel more confident in what makes them unique.
Want to see what we could create together? Explore my work or get in touch.
