What Makes a Brand Authentic in 2025?

September 17, 2025

Welcome to Authenticity Report - Issue #79

This week, we’re reminded that true brand authenticity isn’t claimed—it’s earned through consistent actions, values, and transparency.

Our Roundup: explores Timberland’s bold campaign celebrating authenticity through cultural icons, Robert Redford’s timeless balance of legend and truth, and why “authenticity” remains a powerful yet elusive buzzword in modern branding and marketing.

Plus check out NEW TOOLS from Authenticity.co with insights to help you master business basics and apply authentic strategies for personal and brand success.

This Week’s Report
—> What Makes A Brand Authentic
—> Tell Us
—> Takeaways
—> Authenticity Roundup
—> Top Voices

What Do You Think? We are reshaping and expanding our Authenticity platform, we'd love to have you on board and contribute! Email us directly at [email protected] 

Read Time: 3.5 mins

| What Makes a Brand Authentic in 2025?

photo: diego ph • unsplash

In a recent Forbes Agency Council feature, 20 agency leaders tackled one of branding’s biggest questions: what does authenticity really mean today? 

The answers reveal a powerful shift—authenticity isn’t about slogans or aesthetics, but about alignment between what a brand says and what it does. Consumers are watching more closely than ever, and they reward brands that live their values, even when it’s inconvenient.

At its core, authenticity builds trust, loyalty, and meaning. It happens when brands show up consistently—across actions, messaging, and experiences. Instead of relying on polish, the most resonant companies lean into truth, vulnerability, and clarity. From owning mistakes to highlighting founder stories, these leaders agree that authenticity is proven through behavior, not just branding.

Some of the most powerful takeaways include:

  • Proof over persuasion: Show your values through consistent action, not slogans.

  • Personalize with purpose: Speak to what your audience truly cares about.

  • Stay rooted in values: Don’t chase trends—lead with your brand’s core beliefs.

  • Embrace imperfection: Transparency about mistakes builds more trust than perfection.

  • Align inside and out: Internal culture must match external messaging.

For today’s brands, the challenge isn’t talking about authenticity—it’s living it, daily. When words, actions, and values align, the result is credibility that no competitor can replicate.

👉 Top Authentic Brands on Authenticity 500

| Tell Us

What makes a brand feel most authentic today?

Login or Subscribe to participate in polls.

| Takeaways

Ben & Jerry’s co-founder Jerry Greenfield is stepping away after 47 years, saying the brand’s once-independent voice on social issues has been stifled by parent company Unilever.

In a letter shared by co-founder Ben Cohen on X, Greenfield expressed that the brand’s ability to speak out on critical events has been stripped away—raising concerns that this loss of independence threatens Ben & Jerry’s authenticity, which has long been rooted in boldly championing social and political causes.

| Time To Choose

What Brands Are Authentic? It is time once again to choose which brands you feel are authentic for 2025. Please tell us via our survey (it takes less than 5 minutes to fill out).

The results of your decisions will be part of our annual Authenticity 500 Index rankings, which you will receive for free.

| Authenticity Roundup

This week's curated reads from web

 branding
•  Icons Redefine Authenticity in Timberland’s New Campaign

Timberland’s Advice of an Icon campaign spotlights Spike Lee, Skepta, and Kiko Mizuhara, celebrating resilience, creativity, and unapologetic authenticity while reinforcing the brand’s legacy as a cultural and style icon..

Read More → newswire

 culture
•  Robert Redford’s Legacy Balances Legend and Authenticity

Robert Redford, who passed at 89, leaves behind a legacy defined by his rare ability to embody authenticity within myth—on screen, in life, and through Sundance—bridging the line between legend and truth with enduring integrity.

Read More → arkansas gazette

 marketing
•  Why ‘Authenticity’ Is Such A Tough Buzzword To Replace

Despite being overused to the point of cliché, authenticity endures as a prized ideal in branding and culture—hard to define, harder to replace, and only meaningful when backed by genuine action.

Read More → pr daily

| Tools

STARTING OCTOBER 15th - NEW PORTAL FOR TOOLS

We are excited to launch a new platform that gives you access to powerful tools from Authenticity.co, along with insights to help you master business fundamentals and implement authentic strategies for personal and brand success.

Unlock your potential with us!

For a limited time, these will be available for free to our subscribers.

| Past Reports

| Top Voices

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Our weekly guide explores the meaning of Authenticity as it relates to our personal and professional lives and the brands we connect with, bringing you the latest insights, curated news, and guest authors.

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