Authenticity isn’t a vibe. It’s a business strategy that compounds.
Pop quiz: What do Instagram, Coca-Cola, and the Hershey Company have in common? If you answered that they messed up, changed their authentic products into inauthentic products, and lost customers, then bingo, you would be right. .
Social-media platforms like Instagram are evolving to prioritize algorithmic, attention-grabbing feeds over genuine engagement.
Likewise, Hershey has received criticism for adding lower-quality ingredients to its products and reducing the amount of cocoa. So much so that today the products don’t even meet the standards for being called chocolate.
Then there’s always the “Classic” Coke example of when the company changed the soda’s formula from one customers loved into one they didn’t.
In life, your word is your bond. In business, your word is your brand. When you break either, you can’t fake it. Customers will know and stop buying. In the famous words of Tupac Shakur, “I’m not perfect, but I’ll always be real.” In business, the same idea applies. You must keep it 100 if you want your business to succeed in the long term.
As a top talent agent, Century City attorney, and professor of law at USC, I help clients and students understand the importance of being authentic in all their dealings.
Business leaders who keep it 100
Some business leaders are famous for being authentic at work and in their products and services, such as Omar Johnson, formerly the chief marketing officer of Beats by Dre.
Johnson credits the rise of Beats headphones in the marketplace from a $20-million niche player to a $2-billion category leader to his marketing team’s authentic storytelling and branding. At Beats, Johnson encouraged people to show up as their authentic selves, sporting a variety of hairstyles, outfits, and beliefs. The ideas from this group led to engaging, authentic marketing campaigns, like the viral #StraightOuttaSomewhere marketing campaign, where people could create memes about their authentic selves.
Other entrepreneurs have also found success by being their authentic selves, such as Jessica Alba, who created The Honest Company. She built a billion-dollar brand with the goal of supplying safe, eco-friendly products ethically sourced for her customers.
There’s also Nicola Kilner of Deciem, who one-upped the skin care industry by using real ingredients in clean packaging and charging a fraction of the price for what she explained were basic ingredients that cosmetic companies had been overcharging for years.
To keep it 100 in your dealings with clients and customers, I advise my clients and students to possess the following:
1. Self-awareness
First, it’s important to understand your own values and beliefs. The more you’re aware of yourself, the more you’ll understand the values and beliefs of your stakeholders.
Howard Schultz of Starbucks was famous for believing in the importance of community—for himself and others. He thought of his employees as “partners” and created a “third place” for consumers to hang out. When Starbucks strayed from its community philosophy, its business faltered.
2. Alignment
You must walk the talk. What you believe as a business and what you practice must match, or your clients and consumers will see your actions as fake.
Patagonia is a great example of alignment. To this day, the company vets its supply chain to ensure it doesn’t support child labor or unsafe work practices. It’s one of the many reasons Patagonia is one of the world’s most respected brands.
3. Consistency
Building trust and authenticity is all about following through on the promises you make, and not just when it’s easy. If you’re inconsistent, customers will notice.
Look at Volkswagen. It promised its consumers “clean diesel” cars. Then, in 2015, it was revealed that VW had installed “defeat devices” to cheat on emissions tests, breaking its promises of environmental friendliness.
Your business might not always be successful if it acts authentically, because there are more factors to success than just that. However, your leadership and your business will always be respected, and that will carry over into whatever you do.
This article was originally published by Inc. May 30, 2026.