LIBRO QUATTRO

From Special Effects to Special Affections, from Vanity Metrics to Authenticity Metrics

"No need to hurry. No need to sparkle. No need to be anything but oneself."

Virginia Wolf
“A Room of One's Own”

"We need to reclaim a new kind of authenticity, distancing ourselves from self-referential platforms. Because, in the end, all of us are behind that over-photographed face, all of us are trying to escape the spotlight of social media." So wrote Canadian illustrator Anita Kunz, author of the iconic New Yorker cover that was released some time ago and has already gone down in history. The image features the Mona Lisa, covering her hyper-photographed face. Ultimately, it is authenticity that should serve as the compass which guides our actions. This applies to people as well as to those Best Brands which are, first and foremost, made up of people. In this new "conversational era", as the Harvard Business Review called it, that is the real challenge: to be before you arrive. Because today, the greatest challenge is not just what we offer, but how we offer it. Of course, substance is essential. But the line between satisfaction and indifference lies in the ability to generate empathy and nearness. We need true, tangible, and beautiful stories;  stories that know how to rebuild, even after we are hit by and surrounded by disasters. And that’s why we need to transition from special effects to special affections, from vanity metrics to authenticity metrics. But that’s not all. Authenticity also means decoding what’s happening and understanding the challenges outside of the organisation. Today, the priorities for Best Brands are being reassessed with a greater awareness of people’s needs. The brand strategies that are able to tap into this new sensibility will be those that succeed in a diverse market, one that is open to what is going on beyond the organisation’s walls. It is time to come down from our ivory towers, untangle the knots of complexity, and give meaning to things. Never before have immersive and predictive technologies offered such a rich, continuous, and personalised customer experience. At the same time, the evolution of generative artificial intelligence has caused the "presence" of organisations in the lives of connected consumers to spread across a variety of spaces, and not just digital ones. This rewrites the relationship between Best Brands and users, drawing from a multitude of languages, formats, and channels. Experimentation is in full swing. Avatars and chatbots are entering the scene, bringing with them a new concept of customer care that becomes social care or AI care. But this ongoing conversation must express compassion. ”I have always been hungry for affection,” writes Haruki Murakami in Norwegian Wood. Those brands that are able to demonstrate true authenticity will win the battle for consumers’ attention, entering the minds, hearts, and even the wallets of their audiences."

GIAMPAOLO COLLETTI

Journalist and editor of the book