Our Roundup: From legacy brands reinventing themselves to unexpected campaigns, honest positioning, and products that tap into culture, this week’s standout brand moves show how authenticity can create attention without feeling manufactured.

NEW FEATURE COMING THIS WEEK - Stay tuned for announcement.

This Week’s Report
—> Attention Isn’t Proof
—> Key Takeaways
—> This Week’s Standouts

| Attention Isn't Proof

Getting noticed has never been easier. Getting believed has never been harder.

This week gave us three unrelated stories that all pointed to the same thing: people can tell when something's manufactured.

Sydney Sweeney and Novig's "Just Sports" campaign got enormous reach, and an equally enormous backlash from female athletes who felt the message clashed with how women were actually portrayed. The ad worked as attention. Whether it worked as trust is a different question. And reach doesn't answer it.

Bazaarvoice and Bluefish's new research points to the same gap from the other direction. 9 in 10 shoppers want real reviews behind AI-generated product recommendations. AI can make information faster, more personalized, and more abundant. It can't make it believable. That's still a job for real people saying real things.

Then Converse pulled an ad and apologized after consumers flagged imagery that evoked the KKK and lynching. The brand admitted it "got this wrong." The lesson isn't really about damage control. It's that authenticity gets decided long before the apology, in the room where the work gets made, reviewed, and approved. You can't retrofit judgment after launch.

None of this is an argument against being bold, using AI, or taking risks. It's about alignment. Does the work match what the brand claims to stand for? Does it respect the people it's trying to reach? And is there something real underneath it?

Attention is cheap now. That's exactly why the real thing is starting to be worth more.

| Takeaways

1. Attention Isn't Trust
Being seen is only the first step. Trust comes from giving people a reason to believe you.

2. Human Experience Still Matters
Technology can amplify information, but genuine experiences, opinions and connections are what make it meaningful.

3. Authenticity Starts Before Launch
The choices made behind the scenes often matter more than how a brand responds once something goes wrong.

4. Alignment Is the Real Test
When a brand's message, behavior and experience match, people notice—and when they don't, people notice that too.

| This Week’s Standouts

This week’s real-time signals on how brands are actually showing up.

• Carter's has been dressing children for 161 years. This week they unveiled a new brand promise, a new logo, and their biggest campaign ever.
Most Viewed On Linkedin

• goodwipes made a parody of OpenAI's Astra ad. They called it Asstra. The most authentic brand moments don't feel like marketing.

• Dropps just rebranded around one of the most honest positioning lines we've seen this year.

• Nike made a speed suit for Keely Hodgkinson that you cannot buy. It's a statement about what kind of company you are.

• Ring Pop just entered the wedding market. The best product extensions don't create new consumer behavior.

| Time To Choose

What Brands Are Authentic? It is time once again to choose which brands you feel are authentic. 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.

| Past Reports

🖐️ 5 Ways Brands Confuse Visibility With Authenticity

💯 100 Issues. Here’s What We’ve Learned

💡 Credibility Is The New Influence

⚽ World Cup’s Biggest Lesson Isn’t Soccer

💛 7 Traits of Authenticity

This newsletter is an exclusive benefit to our Authenticity community.

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.

Our tools to help you:
• The Authentic Brand Audit Kit
• Personal Authenticity Deep-Dive Journal
• Authenticity 500 Index

Like what you see?
• Share With Your Friends 
• Follow Us Online

Disclosure: Some content in this newsletter may be generated with the assistance of AI tools for research and drafting. It was reviewed, edited, and fact-checked by our human editorial team before publication.

Our Roundup: highlights six brands finding unexpected ways to show up, from Mary Kay’s first major consumer campaign in 60 years to Duolingo’s Fashion Week fashion line and Hyundai’s car-free campaign.

This Week’s Report
—> 5 Ways Brands Confuse Visibility With Authenticity
—> This Week’s Standouts
—> Tools
—> Top Voices

| 5 Ways Brands Confuse Visibility With Authenticity

There is a lot of pressure on brands to be visible right now. More content. More platforms. More partnerships. More impressions. More followers. More ways to show up in front of people. But visibility, on its own, does not create loyalty, trust or authenticity. It can actually make the problem worse. If there isn't something real behind the visibility, you're simply amplifying the brand without giving people a reason to believe in it.

I was reminded of this after reading a recent roundup of 20 ways brands can get visibility wrong. What struck me was how many of them ultimately came back to the same issue: confusing attention with connection. The brands that consistently perform well in the Authenticity 500, including Patagonia, Vans, Ben & Jerry's, Nike and Apple, aren't necessarily authentic because they are visible. They are visible because they have built something recognizable and meaningful that people already connect with. Their products, messaging, partnerships, experiences and communities generally reinforce the same underlying identity.

5 Ways Brands Confuse Visibility With Authenticity

1. Making visibility the goal
More reach does not automatically mean more relevance. Visibility should be a means to communicate something people actually care about, not the objective itself. If the only measure of success is how many people saw you, you're measuring exposure rather than connection.

2. Abandoning authenticity for trends
Red Bull is a good example of the opposite approach. The brand has spent years building visibility around a world that genuinely fits it, from action sports and athletes to events, media and content. It doesn't feel like the brand is attaching itself to whatever happens to be trending that week. The visibility comes from having a clear territory and consistently owning it. That's very different from trying to manufacture relevance.

3. Confusing attention with trust
Trader Joe's doesn't need to be everywhere to maintain a remarkably loyal customer base. Its stores, products, packaging, employees, private-label brands and distinctive personality all contribute to a very recognizable experience. The experience does much of the convincing. You don't have to be constantly reminded why Trader Joe's is different because you've experienced it yourself.

4. Treating visibility as proof
Harley-Davidson takes this a step further. Its brand isn't just communicated by the company. It's demonstrated by the community around it. The people who ride, the events they attend, the groups they form and the culture that has developed around the brand all provide evidence of what Harley-Davidson represents. That's the difference between telling people you have a passionate community and actually having one. Visibility can tell you that a brand is talking. Community can prove that people are listening.

5. Prioritizing reach over value
This may be the easiest trap to fall into. A post can reach 100,000 people and still mean very little to the people who see it. A smaller audience can be far more valuable if the message, product or experience actually matters to them. Attention is easy to measure. Meaning is harder.

The goal isn't for brands to become less visible. It's to make sure the visibility is actually saying something. The strongest brands don't just show up more often. They give people consistent reasons to recognize them, understand them and trust them.

If you can't prove it, you don't have it.

| This Week’s Standouts

This week’s real-time signals on how brands are actually showing up.

• Mary Kay just launched their largest consumer campaign in company history after 60 years, called Beauty Is More Beautiful Shared.
Most Viewed On Linkedin

• Hyundai just launched a campaign with no cars in it. Not a single one.

• Poshmark just launched their biggest brand campaign during New York Fashion Week. The concept is called Try Yourself On. Not try on clothes. Try on identities.

• Duolingo showed up to Fashion Week with a fashion line. A green purse called “air-mess” for Hermès. A “zhee-vahn-shee” jacket for Givenchy.

• Ben Affleck spent last week spray-painting his name on billboards around Los Angeles. It was the teaser for a new Aflac campaign. Affleck and Aflac.

• SEPHORA just launched on TikTok Shop. Not their full catalog. Something called the Sephora Drop Shop.

| Time To Choose

What Brands Are Authentic? It is time once again to choose which brands you feel are authentic. 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.

| Tools

| Past Reports

💯 100 Issues. Here’s What We’ve Learned

💡 Credibility Is The New Influence

⚽ World Cup’s Biggest Lesson Isn’t Soccer

💛 7 Traits of Authenticity

🖐️ Authenticity’s Top 5 Brands

This newsletter is an exclusive benefit to our Authenticity community.

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.

Our tools to help you:
• The Authentic Brand Audit Kit
• Personal Authenticity Deep-Dive Journal
• Authenticity 500 Index

Like what you see?
• Share With Your Friends 
• Follow Us Online

Disclosure: Some content in this newsletter may be generated with the assistance of AI tools for research and drafting. It was reviewed, edited, and fact-checked by our human editorial team before publication.

Our Roundup: Kraft Heinz's new Disney partnership signals a strategic shift for both iconic brands, while Crayola's expansion into products for adults shows how even the most established brands can evolve without losing their identity.

This Week’s Report
—> 100 Issues. Here's What We've Learned.
—> Key Takeaways
—> This Week’s Standouts

| 100 Issues. Here's What We've Learned.

When I sent that very first issue of Authenticity Report back in August 2022, I didn't know if anyone would open it. I definitely didn't picture writing to you 100 issues later.

This newsletter started because I kept running into the same wall in my corporate life, sitting across from executives at companies you'd all recognize, watching them spend millions trying to seem authentic while genuinely missing the mark.

That frustration turned into a decade-long obsession with one word, and eventually into Why We Launched Authenticity, the issue where I finally told you all of that, instead of just writing about someone else's brand.

Some of my favorite issues were the ones where we stopped reporting and started arguing.

Authenticity Sells was the first time I said out loud that "authentic" was becoming a word brands reach for so often it risks meaning nothing.

A year later, Why "Authenticity" No Longer Works, written by our friend Sunny Fassler, pushed that idea even further and forced me to actually sit with the discomfort of it. It's a strange thing, writing a newsletter named after a word and then questioning whether the word still holds up. But you all stuck with us through it, and honestly, that issue is one I'm proudest of.

The brand spotlights are where this whole thing started, and they're still what I love writing most.

Somewhere along the way, we crossed 60 different brands featured in this newsletter, everything from Yeti: Built for Epic Adventures and Dr. Bronner's: Brand Transparency to our look at In-N-Out Burger: The Recipe for Authentic Success.

Some weeks it was a legacy brand like Levi's or Harley-Davidson; other weeks it was something scrappier like Liquid Death or Cotopaxi, but the thread connecting all of them was always the same: they weren't performing for us, they were just consistently, quietly themselves.

The Bike Industry Has An Authenticity Problem came out of an interview I did with Rick Vosper, and it's still the issue I get the most emails about, because it proved this newsletter was willing to call out an entire category, not just praise the brands getting it right.

The part of this project I didn't expect to matter as much as it does is personal authenticity, turning the lens on us, not just brands. 

The Benefits Of Being Authentic is where I first laid out the seven traits: Real, Original, Truthful, Honest, Genuine, Integrity, and Transparent. Those weren't traits I picked myself. They came straight out of the same survey we use for the Authenticity 500: when we ask people what Authenticity actually means to them, those seven words keep rising to the top.

Finding Your Authentic Self went even further inward for me. I sat down to answer a simple question, "what does your authentic self actually look like," and realized halfway through writing it that I didn't have a quick answer either. Turns out it's not a job title or a personality trait; it's alignment, when your values, actions, and decisions all start pointing the same direction. That one changed how I think about this whole project.

Then there's the Authenticity 500 Index itself, the project that turned into the backbone of everything we do here.

Authenticity's Top 5 Brands, Top 6 Authentic Brands, and Authenticity's Top Shoe Brands came directly from your survey answers, your votes, your opinions about which brands actually earn your trust.

This was never supposed to be me telling you what's authentic. It was always supposed to be us figuring it out together, and the Index is proof that worked.

So, thank you. Genuinely.

Whether you've been here since issue one or you found us last month, you're the reason I get to keep asking this question every week instead of just wondering about it alone.

We are just getting started.

There's a lot more to figure out about what authenticity means for brands, and honestly, for all of us, and I can't wait to keep working through it with you for the next 100.

- Mark Sperling 

| Takeaways

1. Authenticity Is Earned
Brands don't become authentic by saying they are, they earn it through consistent actions over time.

2. People Know the Difference
Consumers are remarkably good at recognizing when a brand's words and actions are aligned, or when they're not.

3. Authenticity Starts Within
The strongest brands are built on authentic people, cultures, and values long before marketing tells the story.

4. Trust Is the Ultimate Measure
Every issue has reinforced the same truth: authenticity isn't about being perfect, it's about being trusted.

| This Week’s Standouts

This week’s real-time signals on how brands are actually showing up.

• Kraft Heinz just became the exclusive licensee for Disney-branded food products. And the deal says something important about where both companies are headed.
Most Viewed On Linkedin

• Crayola just launched a product line for adults. And it might be their most delicate brand move in 123 years.

| Time To Choose

What Brands Are Authentic? It is time once again to choose which brands you feel are authentic. 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.

| Past Reports

💡 Credibility Is The New Influence

⚽ World Cup’s Biggest Lesson Isn’t Soccer

💛 7 Traits of Authenticity

🖐️ Authenticity’s Top 5 Brands

❄️ Yeti Just Removed Its Own Name

| Our Partner

Stop typing what you could say in 10 seconds.

Wispr Flow turns your voice into clean, professional text inside any app. Emails, Slack, client updates — speak once, send without editing. 4x faster than typing.

Try Wispr Flow free

This newsletter is an exclusive benefit to our Authenticity community.

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.

Our tools to help you:
• The Authentic Brand Audit Kit
• Personal Authenticity Deep-Dive Journal
• Authenticity 500 Index

Like what you see?
• Share With Your Friends 
• Follow Us Online

Disclosure: Some content in this newsletter may be generated with the assistance of AI tools for research and drafting. It was reviewed, edited, and fact-checked by our human editorial team before publication.

Our Roundup: From MLB & John Deere to Crayola, Chick-fil-A to Saucony, here's what caught our attention this week - show what happens when brands challenge assumptions, embrace authenticity, and stay true to who they are.

This Week’s Report
—> Credibility Is The New Influence
—> Key Takeaways
—> This Week’s Standouts
—> Top Voices

| Credibility Is The New Influence

I spent a few days at VidCon last month, the annual gathering where creators, platforms, brands, agencies, and the businesses shaping the creator economy come together to discuss what's next.

While AI dominated plenty of conversations, one session that really stuck with me was Pinterest Chief Content Officer Malik Ducard's talk on credibility, authenticity, and why they're becoming the most valuable currency in influencer marketing.

One point hit me immediately.

“Reach may get attention, but credibility earns trust.”

Malik argued that the biggest challenge facing influencer marketing isn't that it's become too commercial, it's that audiences have become incredibly good at spotting the difference between genuine enthusiasm and a paid endorsement.

We've all seen it.

A creator suddenly promotes a product that feels completely out of character, and the first question isn't "Should I buy it?"

It's "Do they actually use this?"

As the creator economy has matured, followers have become much more discerning. Follower count can create awareness, but authenticity creates influence.

What I appreciated most was Malik's advice to brands.

Stop chasing the biggest creators with the largest audiences.

Instead, find the people who are already talking about your product because they genuinely love it. Those creators may have smaller communities, but they often have far greater influence because they've already earned the trust of their audience.

That immediately reminded me of something we've talked about often in the Authenticity Report:

“Trust isn’t something you buy after the fact. It’s built long before anyone signs a contract.”

The lesson extends well beyond influencer marketing.

Whether you're building a personal brand, leading a company, creating content, or growing a business, people are becoming remarkably skilled at detecting what's real and what's performative.

Authenticity isn't just a nice brand value anymore, it's becoming a competitive advantage.

In a world filled with algorithms, AI-generated content, and sponsored everything, credibility may be the one asset that's becoming impossible to fake, and therefore more valuable than ever.

| Takeaways

1. Trust Before Reach
Don't chase the biggest audience, build the audience that believes you.

2. Earn the Right to Influence
People trust consistent actions over occasional promotions, so let your expertise speak before your marketing does.

3. Partner with True Believers
Whether hiring employees, choosing ambassadors, or collaborating with creators, work with people who already believe in your mission.

4. Authenticity Is Your Competitive Advantage
As AI and sponsored content become more common, genuine human credibility becomes increasingly difficult to copy, and more valuable because of it.

| This Week’s Standouts

This week’s real-time signals on how brands are actually showing up.

• "Baseball, John Deere, America's 250th — all we needed was an apple pie partnership. It just felt so iconically American." John Deere's exec described their new MLB partnership in one line.
Most Viewed On Linkedin

• Hasbro launched a Play-Doh line for adults called “Blooms,” and their CMO said something most executives would never admit on record - "If we market this as a traditional Play-Doh toy, we will fail."

• Chick-fil-A is bringing back Cow Appreciation Day on July 14 for the first time since 2018, and people are already losing their minds about it.

• Slate just announced their first-ever collaboration, and it's with Crayola. Not a tech company. Not a performance brand. A crayon maker.

• A new survey just asked 2,000 Americans which brands best represent the country, not because of their flags or their Fourth of July ads, because they show up in people's lives every single day.

• Saucony global president just gave one of the most honest interviews. He walked into the brand in 2023 and immediately pulled it out of hundreds of retail outlets, but the end results were shocking

| Tell Us

| Time To Choose

What Brands Are Authentic? It is time once again to choose which brands you feel are authentic. 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.

| Past Reports

⚽ World Cup’s Biggest Lesson Isn’t Soccer

💛 7 Traits of Authenticity

🖐️ Authenticity’s Top 5 Brands

❄️ Yeti Just Removed Its Own Name

⚽ Adidas Gets It Right

| Our Partner

Stop typing what you could say in 10 seconds.

Wispr Flow turns your voice into clean, professional text inside any app. Emails, Slack, client updates — speak once, send without editing. 4x faster than typing.

Try Wispr Flow free

| Top Voices

What Does Authenticity Mean To You?

This newsletter is an exclusive benefit to our Authenticity community.

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.

Our tools to help you:
• The Authentic Brand Audit Kit
• Personal Authenticity Deep-Dive Journal
• Authenticity 500 Index

Like what you see?
• Share With Your Friends 
• Follow Us Online

Disclosure: Some content in this newsletter may be generated with the assistance of AI tools for research and drafting. It was reviewed, edited, and fact-checked by our human editorial team before publication.

Our Roundup: Why KFC believes true rebrands require more than changing a logo, how Levi's turned a World Cup restriction into a masterclass in brand recognition, and what OLIPOP's two-decade journey teaches us about the long game behind so-called overnight success.

This Week’s Report
—> World Cup’s Biggest Lesson Isn’t Soccer
—> Key Takeaways
—> This Week’s Standouts
—> Top Voices

| The World Cup's Biggest Lesson Isn't Soccer

With the recent start of the FIFA World Cup, we're seeing something remarkable unfold across North America. Millions of fans are flooding stadiums, traveling between host cities, and proudly representing their cultures in full bloom.

Scotland's Flying Tartans have turned heads in Boston, Norwegian supporters have brought their signature "Viking Row" celebration to the stands, and nearly every nation has its own chants, songs, colors, and traditions. Whether it's Argentina's nonstop singing, Mexico's sea of green, or the growing pride surrounding Team USA, the World Cup is a reminder that people crave belonging and shared identity.

What strikes me most is how authentic these moments feel.

Nobody is telling fans what to wear, what songs to sing, or how to celebrate. These traditions have been built over decades and passed from generation to generation.

In an era where so much content feels manufactured, the World Cup delivers something increasingly rare: genuine passion. You can't fake that level of commitment, pride, and emotional investment.

The brands know it too.

Nike and adidas are once again battling for attention, leveraging current stars and legendary players across campaigns, content, and activations. Meanwhile, brands like LEGO, McDonald's, Coca-Cola, and others are using a mix of athletes, celebrities, nostalgia, and storytelling to connect with fans during the tournament.

The smartest brands understand that the World Cup isn't just a sporting event. It's a cultural moment. The goal isn't to dominate the conversation. It's to become part of it.

Some of the most authentic branding moments have actually been the most understated.

Levi's covered its logo on stadium signage, yet the brand remained instantly recognizable. Gillette took a similar approach. Rather than demanding attention, they trusted the equity they've built over time. There's a lesson in that.

Whether you're a person or a brand, authenticity isn't about being the loudest voice in the room. It's about being so consistently yourself that people recognize you even when your name isn't front and center.

Enjoy the games!

| Takeaways

1. Represent Something Bigger Than Yourself
The fans filling stadiums aren't just supporting a team, they're representing a nation, culture, and identity. The strongest personal and brand connections happen when people feel part of a larger purpose.

2. Passion Can't Be Manufactured
From country-specific chants to lifelong traditions, the most memorable moments are organic. Focus less on creating hype and more on creating something people genuinely care about.

3. Show Your Colors Proudly
World Cup supporters don't hide who they are. The same applies to people and brands. Clarity about your values attracts the right audience and builds stronger loyalty.

4. Recognition Is Earned Over Time
Whether it's a fan section known around the world or a brand like Levi's recognized without its logo, trust and recognition come from years of consistency, not a single campaign.

| This Week’s Standouts

This week’s real-time signals on how brands are actually showing up.

• KFC's global CMO just said something most marketers would never admit out loud.
"One of the worst things we can do as marketers is just change our logo and not do anything else." And she's about to roll out a global rebrand.

• OLIPOP co-founder turned $100,000 into a nearly $2 billion business. He calls it a "20-year overnight success."

• FIFA told Levi's their logo couldn't appear at Levi's Stadium. Levi's didn't fight it. They just covered their entire social presence in the shape of the logo instead.

| Tell Us

| Time To Choose

What Brands Are Authentic? It is time once again to choose which brands you feel are authentic. 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.

| Past Reports

💛 7 Traits of Authenticity

🖐️ Authenticity’s Top 5 Brands

❄️ Yeti Just Removed Its Own Name

⚽ Adidas Gets It Right

☕ Starbucks’ Cultural Operating System

| Top Voices

What Does Authenticity Mean To You?

This newsletter is an exclusive benefit to our Authenticity community.

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.

Our tools to help you:
• The Authentic Brand Audit Kit
• Personal Authenticity Deep-Dive Journal
• Authenticity 500 Index

Like what you see?
• Share With Your Friends 
• Follow Us Online

Disclosure: Some content in this newsletter may be generated with the assistance of AI tools for research and drafting. It was reviewed, edited, and fact-checked by our human editorial team before publication.

Our Roundup: The World Cup kicks off this week, and some of the world's biggest brands are already battling for attention, from Nike's cinematic masterpiece and McDonald's fan-first global campaign to the strategic brand turnaround that just earned Gap's CMO the industry's top honor.

This Week’s Report
—> The 7 Traits of Authenticity
—> Key Takeaways
—> This Week’s Standouts
—> Top Voices

| The 7 Traits of Authenticity

Every year, when we conduct the Authenticity 500 Index, we ask consumers a simple question: What word best describes authenticity? The answers reveal something fascinating. While authenticity is often treated as a buzzword, our community sees it as something much deeper — a way of living, leading, and building trust.

Among the responses, seven traits consistently emerged:

• Genuine (41%) — Stay true to yourself without pretense

• Real (14.4%) — Be honest about who you are and what you stand for

• Integrity (12.9%) — Live by principles that reflect your values

• Truth (12.9%) — Align your words with your actions

• Original (10.8%) — Embrace what makes you unique

• Honest (5%) — Be sincere in your interactions

• Transparent (2.9%) — Be open about both successes and shortcomings

What strikes me most is that these traits apply just as much to people as they do to brands. In our personal lives, authenticity isn't about perfection. It's about consistency. It's showing up as the same person regardless of who's watching. It's making decisions based on values instead of approval. The most authentic people I know aren't trying to be interesting, they're simply trying to be themselves.

The same principle applies to brands. The companies that consistently rank highest on the Authenticity 500 aren't necessarily the loudest, trendiest, or fastest-growing. They're the ones that have earned trust through actions over time.

This year's Top 5 brands each embody different authenticity traits:

• Patagonia leads through transparency and integrity

• Vans through originality

• Ben & Jerry's through being real and genuine

• Nike through honest storytelling rooted in sport

• Apple through decades of consistency and a clear point of view

Across every industry, the lesson is the same: authenticity isn't what you say—it's what people experience.

The good news? Authenticity isn't a talent. It's a choice. Whether you're building a career, a community, or a global brand, the path is remarkably similar: tell the truth, stand for something, act consistently, and stay true to your values when it's inconvenient. That's what people remember. That's what creates trust. And ultimately, that's what authenticity looks like.

Want to see how the world's most authentic brands ranked this year?

👉 Download the free Authenticity 500 Top 5 Brands Recap and discover the traits, stories, and consumer insights behind this year's most trusted brands.

| Takeaways

1. Authenticity Starts With Being Genuine
More than 4 in 10 respondents said authenticity means being genuine—staying true to yourself without pretense.

2. Trust Is Built Through Consistency
Whether you're a person or a brand, authenticity is earned when your actions consistently align with your values.

3. Originality Creates Differentiation
The most authentic people and brands aren't chasing trends—they embrace what makes them unique.

4. Transparency Strengthens Credibility
People trust those who are willing to share not only their successes, but also their challenges and shortcomings.

| This Week’s Standouts

This week’s real-time signals on how brands are actually showing up.

• Nike just released their 2026 World Cup campaign and it might be the most ambitious sports ad ever made. Nike CMO said it plainly: "A World Cup film is just an ad. Until it's not." This one isn't.

• McDonald's just launched their biggest global campaign ever for the FIFA World Cup. They chose "true, authentic fandom FOR McDonald's" rather than McDonald's fanning over the World Cup.

• Gap CMO Faby Torres just won Marketer of the Year. And the turnaround she's leading is worth understanding. Each move deliberate. Each one building on the last.

| Tell Us

| Time To Choose

What Brands Are Authentic? It is time once again to choose which brands you feel are authentic. 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.

| Past Reports

🖐️ Authenticity’s Top 5 Brands

❄️ Yeti Just Removed Its Own Name

⚽ Adidas Gets It Right

☕ Starbucks’ Cultural Operating System

🦅 Ride or Fade: Harley-Davidson Gets Real

| Top Voices

What Does Authenticity Mean To You?

This newsletter is an exclusive benefit to our Authenticity community.

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.

Our tools to help you:
• The Authentic Brand Audit Kit
• Personal Authenticity Deep-Dive Journal
• Authenticity 500 Index

Like what you see?
• Share With Your Friends 
• Follow Us Online

Disclosure: Some content in this newsletter may be generated with the assistance of AI tools for research and drafting. It was reviewed, edited, and fact-checked by our human editorial team before publication.

Our Roundup: Patagonia faces backlash over a trademark dispute with an environmental activist, Gucci makes a historic move into Formula 1, Nike takes an unconventional World Cup marketing approach, Starbucks confronts the authenticity gap among young consumers, and Bad Bunny helps Zara turn cultural credibility into one of the year's most talked-about collaborations.

This Week’s Report
—> Authenticity 500 Top 5 Brand Recap
—> This Week’s Standouts
—> Top Voices

| Authenticity 500 Top 5 Brand Recap

We're excited to share the latest Authenticity 500 Top 5 Brand Recap — a free report highlighting the brands our community believes are setting the standard for authenticity in 2026.

While most rankings focus on revenue, awareness, or market share, the Authenticity 500 measures something different: trust. Every brand is nominated organically by consumers who tell us which brands they believe are the most authentic and why.

This Year's Top 5 Most Authentic Brands

1. Patagonia

2. Vans

3. Ben & Jerry's

4. Nike

5. Apple

Why We Created This Report

Authenticity has become one of the most valuable assets a brand can own—and one of the most misunderstood.

The Top 5 Brand Recap was created to help leaders understand how trusted brands earn loyalty, build community, and stay true to their values, even when it's difficult.

What You'll Learn

Inside the report, you'll discover:

• Why Patagonia continues to hold the #1 position year after year
• How Vans stays connected to the culture that built the brand
• Why Ben & Jerry's continues to prioritize values over convenience
• How Nike reinforces authenticity through athletes and storytelling
• The role consistency and innovation play in Apple's enduring loyalty

You'll also find key takeaways and practical lessons that marketers, founders, executives, and creators can apply to their own organizations.

Download. Share. Discuss.

Whether you're building a brand, leading a team, or simply interested in what drives consumer trust, this report is designed to be a useful resource.

The Top 5 Brand Recap is available as a free download for all readers.

If you find it valuable, please share it with your colleagues, clients, and friends. The more we learn from authentic brands, the better businesses we can build.

| This Week’s Standouts

This week’s real-time signals on how brands are actually showing up.

• Patagonia is suing a drag queen environmentalist who has raised awareness & millions for the planet over trademark infringement. But the social media backlash from its loyal consumers could be costly. What should they do?

• Gucci just became the first luxury fashion house to be a race team’s title partner in Formula 1. Their CEO stated “It is an expression of who we are and where we want to take the brand."

• Nike didn't release a World Cup ad. They released Polaroids of the biggest celebrities & athletes. They are going a different route than adidas’ recent campaign.

• Starbucks just launched a new campaign built on a data point that should stop every brand marketer cold. 88% of young people say they edit themselves to fit in.

• Bad Bunny wore ZARA at the Super Bowl before there was a collection to sell. Then they dropped The Benito Antonio collection of 150 pieces with imagery shot in Puerto Rico & tied back to the culture.

| Tell Us

| Time To Choose

What Brands Are Authentic? It is time once again to choose which brands you feel are authentic. 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.

| Past Reports

❄️ Yeti Just Removed Its Own Name

⚽ Adidas Gets It Right

☕ Starbucks’ Cultural Operating System

🦅 Ride or Fade: Harley-Davidson Gets Real

| Top Voices

What Does Authenticity Mean To You?

This newsletter is an exclusive benefit to our Authenticity community.

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.

Our tools to help you:
• The Authentic Brand Audit Kit
• Personal Authenticity Deep-Dive Journal
• Authenticity 500 Index

Like what you see?
• Share With Your Friends 
• Follow Us Online

Disclosure: Some content in this newsletter may be generated with the assistance of AI tools for research and drafting. It was reviewed, edited, and fact-checked by our human editorial team before publication.

Our Roundup: Netflix is turning fandom into a brand strategy, Urban Outfitters is redefining convenience culture with DoorDash, Robert Irwin is bringing real-world credibility to Columbia Sportswear, and Jeep continues proving that authenticity compounds when a brand consistently lives its values over decades.

This Week’s Report
—> YETI Just Removed Its Own Name
—> Takeaways
—> This Week’s Standouts
—> Top Voices

| YETI Just Removed Its Own Name

For years, YETI has built one of the most recognizable lifestyle brands through simplicity. No mascot. No complicated design system. Just a clean wordmark stamped across coolers, drinkware, hats, and gear that became synonymous with outdoor culture.

Now, in its latest campaign created with Wieden+Kennedy, YETI has removed its own name entirely — replacing it with other four-letter words like “Hike,” “Surf,” “Fish,” “Golf,” and “Snow.”That single idea says a lot about where the brand is headed as it celebrates its 20th anniversary.

The campaign is more than clever creative. It’s a signal that YETI wants to evolve from a product company into a broader cultural brand. The company no longer wants to be known only for premium coolers. It wants ownership of the lifestyle surrounding adventure, travel, sport, and the outdoors.

That’s where authenticity becomes important.

The strongest brands don’t just sell products — they represent identity. Nike represents ambition. Patagonia represents environmental values and purpose-driven adventure. YETI is attempting to build the same type of emotional connection by making the lifestyle bigger than the logo itself.

What makes this especially interesting is that YETI’s authenticity was never built through advertising first. It was built through community. Early customers proudly wore the hats, placed stickers on trucks and coolers, and turned the brand into a badge of identity long before large-scale campaigns existed.

That organic loyalty is what gives the new campaign credibility. Without years of trust and cultural relevance behind it, swapping out the logo for random four-letter words wouldn’t work nearly as well. Authentic brands earn the freedom to experiment because consumers already understand what they stand for.

The bigger takeaway here is simple:

Authentic brands eventually become recognizable through feeling, culture, and community — not just their name.

YETI’s new campaign is betting that consumers already connect the brand with a mindset and lifestyle, even when the logo disappears. Whether the execution fully lands or not, the strategy itself reflects something important happening across modern branding: the brands winning today are the ones creating emotional relevance, not just visual recognition.

| Takeaways

1. Own More Than a Product — The strongest brands are associated with a lifestyle, belief, or identity beyond what they sell.

2. Community Creates Credibility — Authenticity is built when real people proudly share and represent your brand over time.

3. Consistency Builds Recognition — Repeating a clear message and visual identity long enough creates trust and emotional connection.

4. Evolve Without Losing Your Core — Expanding your audience works best when growth still feels aligned with the values that built the brand originally.

| This Week’s Standouts

This week’s real-time signals on how brands are actually showing up.

• Netflix isn’t just selling ad space, it’s selling “fandom as a service.” They are moving away from “logo slaps” toward co-created cultural moments.

• Urban Outfitters just partnered with DoorDash. Not to sell food. To deliver an outfit in time for the concert that starts in two hours.

• Robert Irwin is taking on 100 crocodiles for Columbia Sportswear, but there’s a twist. He’s been testing their gear his own life, including this unexpected adventure.

• Jeep has been named America's Most Patriotic Brand for 25 consecutive years. No other brand has ever held the top spot. Not once and here’s why.

| Tell Us

| Time To Choose

What Brands Are Authentic? It is time once again to choose which brands you feel are authentic. 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.

| Free Download

| Past Reports

⚽ Adidas Gets It Right

☕ Starbucks’ Cultural Operating System

🦅 Ride or Fade: Harley-Davidson Gets Real

🚨 Where Brands Get Real (Or Don’t)

| Top Voices

What Does Authenticity Mean To You?

This newsletter is an exclusive benefit to our Authenticity community.

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.

Our tools to help you:
• The Authentic Brand Audit Kit
• Personal Authenticity Deep-Dive Journal
• Authenticity 500 Index

Like what you see?
• Share With Your Friends 
• Follow Us Online

Disclosure: Some content in this newsletter may be generated with the assistance of AI tools for research and drafting. It was reviewed, edited, and fact-checked by our human editorial team before publication.

Our Roundup: REI Co-op shows purpose can drive profit, Instagram’s “Great Purge of 2026” resets influence, Vice News returns raising independence questions, and Levi’s leans into culture over celebrity.

This Week’s Report
—> adidas Gets It Right
—> Takeaways
—> This Week’s Standouts
—> Top Voices

| adidas Gets It Right

adidas just released Backyard Legends, a new short film ahead of the FIFA World Cup 2026, and honestly, it feels different than what most brands are putting into the world right now.

While so many campaigns today are built around spectacle, polish, and overproduction, Backyard Legends brings the story back to something much more real: the neighborhood court, the cage, the parking lot, the backyard. The places where football culture actually begins.

And that’s exactly why it works.

What stood out to me most wasn’t even the celebrity lineup — although it’s stacked. Lionel Messi, Trinity Rodman, Jude Bellingham, Bad Bunny, Timothée Chalamet, David Beckham, Zidane and others all appear throughout the film. But the celebrities never overpower the story.

The focus stays on the feeling.

The feeling of playing for hours with your friends. Recreating famous goals. Arguing over fouls. Pretending you were your heroes. That freedom. That imagination. That connection to the game before pressure, cameras, and sponsorships entered the picture.

That’s where the authenticity comes in.

Most brands today are chasing moments. adidas is building emotional connection. There’s a massive difference between the two.

Backyard Legends doesn’t feel like a campaign designed inside a boardroom trying to “tap into culture.” It feels lived in. The imperfect courts, the nostalgic energy, the local legends storyline — all of it reminds people that football culture was built in communities long before it became content.

And audiences can feel that immediately.

The best brands understand something simple: people connect emotionally long before they connect transactionally. adidas didn’t just make another World Cup ad here. They created a piece of storytelling fans can actually see themselves inside of.

In a moment where consumers are becoming increasingly skeptical of overproduced marketing, Backyard Legends feels authentic because it remembers something most brands forget:

The game was always bigger than the stage.

| Takeaways

1. Lead With Emotion 
People remember how your brand makes them feel long before they remember what you sell.

2. Make It Feel Human 
The most authentic brands don’t feel overproduced; they feel relatable, lived-in, and real.

3. Culture Starts Small 
Real community connection is built in everyday moments, not just big campaigns or viral posts.

4. Consistency Builds Trust 
adidas continues reinforcing the same message (You Got This), proving authenticity comes from repetition, not reinvention.

| This Week’s Standouts

This week’s real-time signals on how brands are actually showing up.

• REI Co-op is proving that a purpose-driven business model can fuel a financial turnaround. Their results show that "staying true to who you are" is a viable business strategy.

• The "Great Purge of 2026" hit Instagram this week. A single 6-hour window. Millions of bot and inactive accounts wiped from the platform with major celebrities & personalities losing mass followings.

• Vice News is back. The founder is relaunching with Adobe, but can brand-funded journalism stay genuinely independent?

• Levi's didn't hire a celebrity for their World Cup campaign. They hired the founders of Kids Of Immigrants, by making sure their campaign looked like the crowd, not the trophy.

| Tell Us

| Time To Choose

What Brands Are Authentic? It is time once again to choose which brands you feel are authentic. 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.

| Past Reports

☕ Starbucks’ Cultural Operating System

🦅 Ride or Fade: Harley-Davidson Gets Real

🚨 Where Brands Get Real (Or Don’t)

🎯 Authenticity In Action

| Top Voices

What Does Authenticity Mean To You?

This newsletter is an exclusive benefit to our Authenticity community.

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.

Our tools to help you:
• The Authentic Brand Audit Kit
• Personal Authenticity Deep-Dive Journal
• Authenticity 500 Index

Like what you see?
• Share With Your Friends 
• Follow Us Online

Disclosure: Some content in this newsletter may be generated with the assistance of AI tools for research and drafting. It was reviewed, edited, and fact-checked by our human editorial team before publication.

Our Roundup: From Patagonia’s activist storytelling and Brooks’ performance-led growth to the radical empathy of Love on the Spectrum, this week’s highlights prove that the new gold standard for brand and cultural success is defined by unapologetic authenticity and deep, human-centered connection.

This Week’s Report
—> Starbucks’ Cultural Operating System
—> Takeaways
—> This Week’s Standouts
—> Top Voices

| Starbucks’ Cultural Operating System

Starbucks is no longer just "chasing" culture, they’ve made it part of their operating system.

In her latest update, Global Chief Brand Officer Tressie Lieberman outlines a fundamental shift in the company's "Back to Starbucks" turnaround strategy. For the world’s largest coffeehouse, cultural relevance is moving from a marketing tactic to a core operating principle.

Why this works for Authenticity.

→ Operating System vs. Marketing Layer:

Lieberman argues that staying close to culture isn't about jumping on every TikTok trend. Instead, it’s about "customer obsession"—designing menus, building technology, and empowering baristas to respond to the shifting rituals of real life in real time.

→ Culture from the Inside Out: 

Authenticity at Starbucks is being driven by the "Green Apron" partners. By giving store employees the tools and trust to act on their instincts, innovation flows from the counter to the customer experience, making the brand feel human and consistent rather than corporate and stagnant.

→ The "Curiosity" Filter:

By shifting from a "chase" mindset to one of "curiosity," Starbucks can identify cultural moments that align naturally with their DNA (like the "afternoon reset" or handcrafted rituals) and ignore the noise that doesn't fit.

The “So What?”

Starbucks is proving that even a global giant can act with the speed and soul of a local coffeehouse if culture is integrated into the foundation.

On the Authenticity 500 Index, we see this as "Brand over time, sales overnight"—a commitment to being exceptionally good at who you already are while remaining relevant to who your customers are becoming.

Check out Starbuck’s recent + past cultural moments

Starbucks x Coachella

• Numerous television and movie cameos  — from the upcoming “The Devil Wears Prada 2” to “Austin Powers” in 1997.

• Supported sports — from sponsoring Team USA for the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games to producing the 2019 documentary, “This is Football”.

• Influenced music  — from selling CDs in coffeehouses in the 2000s to a creating pop-up Starbucks, complete with a DJ at Coachella earlier this month.  

| Takeaways

1. Build Culture Into the Core
Shift from campaigns to systems—make culture a daily input, not a seasonal activation.

2. Empower the Front Line
Your most authentic brand moments come from the people closest to the customer experience.

3. Filter With Intentional Curiosity
Not every trend fits—focus on what aligns naturally with your brand’s DNA.

4. Play the Long Game
Consistency over time builds trust faster than short-term spikes ever will.

| This Week’s Standouts

This week’s real-time signals on how brands are actually showing up.

• Patagonia turns belief into action with Protest: Respect It. Defend It. Use It, a bold move by Patagonia that proves authenticity isn’t stated, it’s published.

• Brooks Running proves that real growth comes from relentless focus on performance, not hype, turning runner trust into record-breaking results.

• OluKai just made a sandal that looks like SPAM musubi. And it's one of the most culturally honest collaborations we've seen this year.

• The New York Times flips “brand safety” into “brand suitability,” proving that growth comes from showing up where your brand truly belongs—not where it feels safest.

• Love on the Spectrum co-creator explores how the future of unscripted TV lies in replacing manufactured drama with radical empathy, ensuring that authenticity and the dignity of the participants are the true measures of a show's success.

| Time To Choose

What Brands Are Authentic? It is time once again to choose which brands you feel are authentic. 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.

| Past Reports

🦅 Ride or Fade: Harley-Davidson Gets Real

🚨 Where Brands Get Real (Or Don’t)

🎯 Authenticity In Action

💥 Chobani, The Anti-CEO Playbook

| Top Voices

What Does Authenticity Mean To You?

This newsletter is an exclusive benefit to our Authenticity community.

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.

Our tools to help you:
• The Authentic Brand Audit Kit
• Personal Authenticity Deep-Dive Journal
• Authenticity 500 Index

Like what you see?
• Share With Your Friends 
• Follow Us Online

Disclosure: Some content in this newsletter may be generated with the assistance of AI tools for research and drafting. It was reviewed, edited, and fact-checked by our human editorial team before publication.

Our Roundup: Highlights how leading brands are moving beyond campaigns to build ideas rooted in real culture, shared truth, and experiences that make authenticity visible and not just spoken.

This Week’s Report
—> Ride or Fade
—> Takeaways
—> Tell Us
—> This Week’s Standouts
—> Top Voices

| Ride or Fade: A Legacy Brand Gets Real

Harley-Davidson just hit the "reset" button, and they’re doing it by going back to their roots.

Recently, Harley-Davidson launched RIDE, a global brand platform that strips away the corporate polish to focus on the one thing that has kept them alive since 1903: the feeling of life on two wheels.

At a time when legacy brands often struggle to stay relevant, Harley is doubling down on heritage to move forward.

Why this works:

→ The Return of the Icon:

By bringing back the historic "Bar and Shield" logo, Harley isn't just being nostalgic. They are reclaiming their visual authority. It’s a signal that they know exactly who they are in a world of "standard" design.

→ Authenticity Over Actors:

The launch film doesn't feature models on a closed set. It uses raw, authentic footage of real riders set to Willie Nelson’s "On the Road Again." It’s a "human truth" play—celebrating the community that built the brand rather than the machine itself.

→ Strategic Simplicity:

CEO Artie Starrs is calling this a "full reset." By centering the entire brand under one word—RIDE—they are cutting through the noise. It’s an action, not an ad.

The "So What?"

Harley-Davidson understands that they don't just have customers; they have a community. In an era of rapid industry evolution, they aren't trying to out-tech the competition—they are out-feeling them.

Authenticity is about honoring the past without being stuck in it. RIDE proves that the open road is still the ultimate "Freedom for the Soul."

| Takeaways

1. Own Your Symbol
Consistency builds trust—your core visuals should feel unmistakable, not interchangeable.

2. Real People > Perfect Production
Unfiltered, human moments create stronger emotional connection than scripted perfection ever will.

3. Simplify to Amplify
Clarity wins—distill your message down to something people can instantly understand and act on.

4. Build a Community, Not Just Customers
Loyalty grows when people see themselves in what you stand for—not just in what you sell.

| This Week’s Standouts

This week’s real-time signals on how brands are actually showing up.

• Los Angeles Rams bring nostalgia to life by embedding themselves in real communities and culture — showing that authenticity comes from showing up, not just referencing moments like “Friday.”

• Milo's Tea Company celebrates its 80th anniversary by turning the spotlight on the superfans who made it part of their lives, proving that lasting brands grow by honoring the people behind their story.

• KitKat turns its decades-old “take a break” idea into a real-world experience —proving that the strongest brands don’t change their message, they find new ways to make people feel it.

• Prego created a simple dinner-table device that captures family conversations and preserves them, showing that real brand authenticity comes from building something that deepens the human moments around the product, not just the product itself.

• Heinz turned a 157-year-old brand marker into a living tradition at the NFL Draft by honoring the 57th pick with a new “Mr. 57” moment, showing how the strongest brand ideas come from uncovering meaning already embedded in their own history and bringing it to life in culture.

• Škoda Auto just launched a new electric car using Play-Doh. Not as a gimmick. As the central design language of the entire campaign.

| Tell Us

| Time To Choose

What Brands Are Authentic? It is time once again to choose which brands you feel are authentic. 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.

| Tools

| Past Reports

🚨 Where Brands Get Real (Or Don’t)

🎯 Authenticity In Action

💥 Chobani, The Anti-CEO Playbook

📺 PBS - Why Trust Still Matters

🔍 Find Your Authentic Self

| Support

Show your support for Authenticity.co by picking up one of our unique items and sharing what matters to you.

| Top Voices

What Does Authenticity Mean To You?

This newsletter is an exclusive benefit to our Authenticity community.

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.

Our tools to help you:
• The Authentic Brand Audit Kit
• Personal Authenticity Deep-Dive Journal
• Authenticity 500 Index

Like what you see?
• Share With Your Friends 
• Follow Us Online

Disclosure: Some content in this newsletter may be generated with the assistance of AI tools for research and drafting. It was reviewed, edited, and fact-checked by our human editorial team before publication.

This Week’s Report
—> This Week’s Standouts
—> Takeaways
—> Tell Us
—> Authenticity Roundup
—> Top Voices

| This Week’s Standouts

We doubled down on something last week—and the response made it clear we’re onto something.

Our new LinkedIn feature reached over 15,000 people, sparked new conversations, and brought a wave of new followers into the Authenticity community. It’s quickly becoming a real-time pulse check on what authenticity actually looks like today.

So we’re keeping it going.

Each day, we’re breaking down how brands are showing up in the wild—through campaigns, product decisions, and unfiltered consumer reactions. Not theory. Not positioning. Just proof.

This week’s highlights continue to expand the picture—showing how authenticity can take many forms, but always leaves a signal.

• Amstel hired a photographer to capture real friendships. No casting. No script. No set. He walked into bars across Europe, shot what he saw, and asked for permission afterward. That's the entire campaign brief for "Shot Without Permission" — and it's one of the most structurally honest pieces of advertising we've seen in years.

• Gatorade is attempting a high-stakes "authenticity tightrope" walk: moving from the locker room to the living room. The brand's biggest hurdle isn't just removing artificial colors; it’s fighting 60 years of brand memory.

• Walmart just announced a full redesign of its flagship private brand Great Value. The most extensive private brand update in the company's history. But the most interesting part of this story isn't the new packaging.

• Girl Scouts of the USA just released data — and buried inside it is a finding that reframes the entire confidence conversation: 85% of girls say they look up to people for what they can do. Not how they look.

• For VF Corporation, protecting the planet isn't a marketing layer—it’s load-bearing.

• The North Face just proved that "Universal Design" isn't about compromise—it’s about better engineering for everyone. Their launch of the Universal Collection marks a massive shift in how the outdoor industry approaches accessibility.

• Crayola and Chick-fil-A are proof that the most powerful partnerships are built on shared values, not just shared logos.

• Authenticity isn't a "vibe", it’s a line item on the balance sheet. Emplifi released their "Digital Authenticity in the Age of AI" report, and the data is a wake-up call for every brand racing to automate their marketing.

• Ben & Jerry's held Free Cone Day this week. While thousands of people queued for ice cream, co-founder Ben Cohen stood on the corner where he opened his first scoop shop in 1978 and called for the brand to be sold. Not because of money. Because of what's been silenced.

• Mattel makes a toy that will never be sold. Buried at the bottom of Mattel’s Halo Corporation of the Year announcement is a detail that tells you everything about their "True North": Brave Barbie and Brave Ken.

• Dove is taking a sledgehammer to the "Single Face of Beauty." They unveiled "The Beauty Machine"—a haunting installation that visualizes how algorithms are flattening individuality.

• Pinterest just launched a campaign telling people to get off their phones. A social media company. Telling you to use social media less.

That’s the point of this feature: to document authenticity as it happens. Because while there’s no single formula, the brands that get it right make one thing clear—you know it when you see it.

| Takeaways

1. Authenticity Requires Letting Go of Control
The most credible brand moments often come from removing scripts, polish, and overproduction—and trusting reality to do the work.

2. Legacy Is Both an Asset and an Obstacle
Evolving a legacy brand means confronting decades of perception, not just updating ingredients or visuals.

3. Values Have to Show Up in the Product
Whether it’s sustainability, accessibility, or design, authenticity becomes real when it’s built into what you make—not just what you say.

4. Actions Speak Louder Than Messaging
From partnerships to public stances, the brands that resonate most are backing their beliefs with visible, sometimes uncomfortable, decisions.

| Tell Us

| Time To Choose

What Brands Are Authentic? It is time once again to choose which brands you feel are authentic. 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.

| Tools

| Past Reports

🎯 Authenticity In Action

💥 Chobani, The Anti-CEO Playbook

📺 PBS - Why Trust Still Matters

🔍 Find Your Authentic Self

🥾 Gear For Good

| Support

Show your support for Authenticity.co by picking up one of our unique items and sharing what matters to you.

| Top Voices

What Does Authenticity Mean To You?

This newsletter is an exclusive benefit to our Authenticity community.

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.

Our tools to help you:
• The Authentic Brand Audit Kit
• Personal Authenticity Deep-Dive Journal
• Authenticity 500 Index

Like what you see?
• Share With Your Friends 
• Follow Us Online

Disclosure: Some content in this newsletter may be generated with the assistance of AI tools for research and drafting. It was reviewed, edited, and fact-checked by our human editorial team before publication.

This Week’s Report
—> Authenticity in Action
—> Takeaways
—> Tell Us
—> Authenticity Roundup
—> Top Voices

| Authenticity in Action: This Week’s Standouts

We’ve launched a new feature on our LinkedIn, and it’s quickly becoming one of the most exciting extensions of the Authenticity 500 Index.

Each day, we spotlight what authenticity actually looks like in the wild: not theory, not positioning statements, but real campaigns, product launches, and consumer reactions from the brands that are proving it every day.

It’s a living, breathing feed of how the most authentic brands show up—and why it matters.

This week’s highlights show just how wide that spectrum can be.

• On is no longer just a "running brand"—it’s a cultural powerhouse. Zendaya and On unveiled their first co-created collection, and they didn't just drop a lookbook.

• Pendleton is the gold standard for a reason: they don’t just sell products; they preserve legacies. Their latest release, the Yosemite National Park blanket, is a masterclass in brand authenticity.

• Harley-Davidson just hit the "reset" button, and they’re doing it by going back to their roots.

• Vans is officially reclaiming its "heat," and they’re doing it by leaning back into what made them a subculture icon: the Classics.

• Liquid Death is the fastest-climbing brand on the Authenticity 500 Index. So, what’s their secret?

• In 2026, "perfect" is officially out. "Human" is in. We’ve reached a bizarre inflection point: 68% of people now question if what they see online is even real.

• Coca-Cola just dusted off the most famous ad in history for a moment that actually needs it. To kick off the "America250" celebration, Coke is reimagining its iconic 1971 "Hilltop" anthem.

• Jordan Brand just dropped the ultimate "mic drop" for the UCLA Women’s Basketball team who claimed their first-ever NCAA Division I Championship. Jordan Brand didn’t just post a congratulatory graphic, they released a high-octane tribute.

• Dollar Shave Club just brought its "no-BS" energy to the women's aisle, and it’s about time. For over a decade, DSC has been the poster child for brand authenticity by calling out the gimmicks in men's grooming.

• LEGO just pulled off the "Louis Vuitton" of the toy world, and it’s a masterclass in why they are ranked #17 on the Authenticity 500. Ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, LEGO has united the "Mount Rushmore" of modern football—Messi, Ronaldo, Mbappé, and Vinícius Jr.—for their first-ever partnership with FIFA.

• Allbirds just sold for 1% of its peak value, and it’s a heartbreak for brand purists. The Silicon Valley darling that once soared to a $4 billion valuation was just acquired for a mere $39 million.

• Ben & Jerry’s legal battle just took a massive, human turn. The U.S. District Court has officially allowed the Ben & Jerry’s Foundation to join the lawsuit against Unilever/Magnum. This isn't just a corporate squabble over a contract; it’s a fight for the soul of a brand that was built to be different.

That’s the lens of this new feature: showcasing how different brands express authenticity in different ways, whether through bold cultural moves or timeless consistency. Because authenticity isn’t one-size-fits-all—but when it’s real, you can see it.

| Takeaways

1. Culture Beats Category
The most relevant companies today are expanding beyond their original lane and showing up where culture is being shaped.

2. Legacy Is a Competitive Advantage
Brands that stay rooted in their history and purpose can build deeper, more enduring connections than those chasing trends.

3. Human > Perfect
As trust declines, audiences are gravitating toward brands that feel real, unpolished, and honest over overly curated perfection.

4. Authenticity Impacts Value
Being authentic isn’t just a brand story—it can directly influence growth, loyalty, and long-term business outcomes.

| Tell Us

| Time To Choose

What Brands Are Authentic? It is time once again to choose which brands you feel are authentic. 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.

| Tools

| Past Reports

💥 Chobani, The Anti-CEO Playbook

📺 PBS - Why Trust Still Matters

🔍 Find Your Authentic Self

🥾 Gear For Good

🛒 The Costco Playbook

| Support

Show your support for Authenticity.co by picking up one of our unique items and sharing what matters to you.

| Top Voices

What Does Authenticity Mean To You?

This newsletter is an exclusive benefit to our Authenticity community.

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.

Our tools to help you:
• The Authentic Brand Audit Kit
• Personal Authenticity Deep-Dive Journal
• Authenticity 500 Index

Like what you see?
• Share With Your Friends 
• Follow Us Online

Disclosure: Some content in this newsletter may be generated with the assistance of AI tools for research and drafting. It was reviewed, edited, and fact-checked by our human editorial team before publication.

This Week’s Report
—> Chobani, The Anti-CEO Playbook
—> Takeaways
—> Tell Us
—> Authenticity Roundup
—> Top Voices

| Chobani, The Anti-CEO Playbook

Authenticity doesn't usually start in a boardroom.

For Chobani (#98), it started in 2005 in a shuttered Kraft plant with a $700,000 SBA loan.

Founder Hamdi Ulukaya, a Turkish immigrant, didn't have a marketing degree—he just had his mother’s yogurt recipe and a hunch that Americans deserved better.

He spent two years perfecting a thick, protein-rich Greek yogurt that redefined an entire category.

By 2007, Chobani was live.

By 2026, it is a household staple. (for the record, I eat their Greek yogurt daily!)

But the real "Vorsprung" of Chobani isn't the yogurt.

It’s the philosophy.

Ulukaya famously called the traditional model of maximizing shareholder returns "the dumbest idea I've ever heard." 

Founder Hamdi Ulukaya

He walks the talk.

In 2016, he gave 10% of the company's equity to his 2,000 employees.

He didn’t just give them a bonus; he made them partners.

For longtime factory workers, that meant becoming millionaires.

When a brand treats its staff as "the natural community of partners" rather than "human resources," consumers feel that integrity in the final product.

Chobani’s mission is simple: "Better food for more people." 

This isn't just a slogan.

During the pandemic, they donated over 6.5 million products to food banks and frontline workers.

More recently, in early 2026, they awarded another $400,000 through their Community Impact Fund to fight rural food insecurity.

They prove that you don’t have to sacrifice profit to be human.

In fact, their "High Protein" line—now boasting up to 30g of protein—is flying off shelves because it delivers on a basic promise: simple, natural ingredients that actually taste good.

To me, Chobani is a reminder that authenticity is a long game. 

While other legacy brands are currently scrambling to "find their purpose" in a 2026 economy, Chobani never lost theirs.

They win because they put humanity first—from the factory floor to the grocery aisle.

They aren't just selling yogurt; they are selling a vision of a business that actually cares about the people it feeds.

| Takeaways

1. Build from Belief: Authenticity starts with a personal conviction, not a market gap or a boardroom brainstorm.

2. Partners Over Employees: True brand loyalty begins internally; when your team owns the success, your customers feel the pride.

3. Profit with Purpose: Putting values over short-term gains builds a "trust reserve" that protects you during global crises.

4. The Product is the Proof: No amount of marketing can fix a bad product; the best brand strategy is still a superior customer experience.

| Tell Us

| Time To Choose

What Brands Are Authentic? It is time once again to choose which brands you feel are authentic. 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

business
•  Human Story Still Wins

Top PR leader argues that while AI can generate content quickly, authentic human stories, emotion, and vulnerability are what actually build trust with audiences and make communication resonate.

Read More → forbes

| Tools

| Past Reports

📺 PBS - Why Trust Still Matters

🔍 Find Your Authentic Self

🥾 Gear For Good

🛒 The Costco Playbook

📚 The Go-Giver Revisited

| Support

Show your support for Authenticity.co by picking up one of our unique items and sharing what matters to you.

| Top Voices

What Does Authenticity Mean To You?

This newsletter is an exclusive benefit to our Authenticity community.

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.

Our tools to help you:
• The Authentic Brand Audit Kit
• Personal Authenticity Deep-Dive Journal

Like what you see?
• Share With Your Friends 
• Follow Us Online

Disclosure: Some content in this newsletter may be generated with the assistance of AI tools for research and drafting. It was reviewed, edited, and fact-checked by our human editorial team before publication.

This Week’s Report
—> PBS - Why Trust Still Matters
—> Takeaways
—> Tell Us
—> Authenticity Roundup
—> Top Voices

| PBS — Why Trust Still Matters (and How They Kept It)

When we talk about brand authenticity, we usually go straight to the disruptors or the loud, "vibes-based" startups.

But I’d argue that the most authentic brands are the ones that stay boringly consistent while the world around them loses its mind.

That is the PBS story. 

Since 1970, PBS (#56) anchored themselves to one job: public service.

While every other media giant is currently pivoting to AI-generated "slop" or chasing outrage clicks to feed an algorithm, PBS has done something radical—they’ve just stayed PBS.

That stubbornness is paying off.

According to the 2025 YouGov Trust surveys, PBS was ranked the #1 most trusted institution in America for the 22nd year in a row.

Let that sink in.

In an era where 90% of audiences say they trust PBS for kids' content, they are out-trusting the courts, the government, and every commercial network.

As CEO Paula Kerger recently put it, PBS succeeds because it is "constantly focused on values... and not letting that get lost in the noise."

To me, that’s the ultimate flex: when your brand is so steady that "trust" becomes your primary product.

But don't mistake "consistent" for "dated."

PBS is currently pulling off a digital masterclass.

They aren't just broadcasting; they’re dominating platforms like YouTube and TikTok through PBS Digital Studios, which now attracts over 50 million monthly viewers.

They’ve moved from being a "TV station" to a "community storytelling platform," inviting us to share our own cultural histories through interactive campaigns.

They are meeting Gen Z and Gen Alpha where they live, but without the "fellow kids" cringe—because the educational value stays the same, whether it's a 30-minute documentary or a 60-second TikTok.

The lesson here is that authenticity isn't about being edgy.

It’s about consistency of purpose. 

While legacy rivals are merging, rebranding, and slashing budgets to survive the 2026 economy, PBS is leaning into its "Viewers Like You" roots.

They prove that you can evolve your tech and your platforms as much as you want, as long as you don't trade your soul for a trending topic.

| Takeaways

1. Anchor Your "Why" - Pick one core mission and stick to it, regardless of the platform.

2. Prioritize Trust Over Viral - Credibility is a competitive moat that protects you during market shifts.

3. Adapt the Tool, Keep the Soul - Modernize your delivery, but never dilute your foundational message.

4. Serve Citizens, Not Consumers - Focus on being essential to a community rather than visible to a crowd.

| Tell Us

| Time To Choose

What Brands Are Authentic? It is time once again to choose which brands you feel are authentic. 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

personal
•  Women Urged To Embrace Authenticity To Unlock Their Potential

Women are encouraged to reject the “fake it till you make it” mindset, arguing that genuine self-awareness, honesty, and embracing one’s true identity lead to healthier lives and relationships.

Read More → msn

| Tools

| Past Reports

🔍 Find Your Authentic Self

🥾 Gear For Good

🛒 The Costco Playbook

📚 The Go-Giver Revisited

💯 Authenticity Is Everything 

| Support

Show your support for Authenticity.co by picking up one of our unique items and sharing what matters to you.

| Top Voices

What Does Authenticity Mean To You?

This newsletter is an exclusive benefit to our Authenticity community.

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.

Our tools to help you:
• The Authentic Brand Audit Kit
• Personal Authenticity Deep-Dive Journal

Like what you see?
• Share With Your Friends 
• Follow Us Online

Disclosure: Some content in this newsletter may be generated with the assistance of AI tools for research and drafting. It was reviewed, edited, and fact-checked by our human editorial team before publication.

This Week’s Report
—> Finding Your Authentic Self
—> Takeaways
—> Tell Us
—> Authenticity Roundup
—> Top Voices

| Finding Your Authentic Self

This week, my therapist asked me a question that caught me off guard:

“What is your authentic self?”

You’d think I’d have a quick answer.

After all, I spend a lot of time studying authenticity through our work with the Authenticity 500 Index and conversations with people & brands about trust, purpose, and values.

But when the question turned inward, I paused.

Is your authentic self the version of you at work?

The version your friends see?

The version you present online?

Or is it the person you are when no one else is watching?

The more I thought about it, the more I realized something important:

Your authentic self isn’t a job title, a brand, or a personality trait.

Its alignment.

It’s when your values, actions, and decisions start pointing in the same direction.

For some people, that might mean choosing work that energizes you.

For others, it might mean speaking honestly when it’s uncomfortable.

Or simply spending more time doing the things that make you feel most like yourself.

When those things line up, you start to feel it.

Interestingly, companies go through the exact same process.

The brands that people trust most usually know exactly who they are—and just as importantly, who they’re not.

Brands like Patagonia, Trader Joe's, and Ben & Jerry's didn’t build loyalty through clever marketing alone.

They built it through clarity of purpose and consistent behavior.

When a company’s values, culture, and actions align, people recognize it immediately.

Authenticity—whether personal or corporate—is something people feel, not something you can simply claim.

So I’m still working on my answer to that therapist’s question.

But I’ve realized something along the way:

The goal isn’t to perfectly define your authentic self.

The goal is to keep moving closer to it.

And maybe the real question—for both individuals and brands—is simple:

Are we living and operating in ways that actually reflect who we are?

New Tool for Exploring Your Authentic Self

If this question resonates with you, we’ve created something new to help.

Introducing our newest tool:
Personal Authenticity Deep-Dive Journal

It’s designed to help you explore your values, decisions, identity, and personal alignment through guided prompts and reflection exercises.

| Takeaways

1. Know What You Stand For
Your authentic self starts with understanding your core values and priorities.

2. Alignment Builds Trust
Whether you’re a person or a brand, people trust consistency between words and actions.

3. Cut Through the Noise
Expectations from others can slowly shape who we become—authenticity requires filtering that out.

4. Authenticity Is a Practice
Your authentic self isn’t something you declare—it’s something you continually move toward.

| Tell Us

| Time To Choose

What Brands Are Authentic? It is time once again to choose which brands you feel are authentic. 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

photo: seattle seahawks

culture
•  The McDonald’s CEO’s Big Burger-Eating Mistake

A recent promotional video with McDonald’s CEO showed how scripted corporate messages can feel out of place when people expect brands like McDonald's to be more genuine.

Read More → forbes

| Tools

| Past Reports

🥾 Gear For Good

🛒 The Costco Playbook

📚 The Go-Giver Revisited

💯 Authenticity Is Everything 

🛠️ Carhartt x Ford: Authenticity In Action

| Support

Show your support for Authenticity.co by picking up one of our unique items and sharing what matters to you.

| Top Voices

What Does Authenticity Mean To You?

This newsletter is an exclusive benefit to our Authenticity community.

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.

Our tools to help you:
• The Authentic Brand Audit Kit
• Personal Authenticity Deep-Dive Journal

Like what you see?
• Share With Your Friends 
• Follow Us Online

Disclosure: Some content in this newsletter may be generated with the assistance of AI tools for research and drafting. It was reviewed, edited, and fact-checked by our human editorial team before publication.

This Week’s Report
—> Gear For Good
—> Takeaways
—> Tell Us
—> Authenticity Roundup
—> Top Voices

| Gear for Good

Whether I’m navigating the cobblestone streets of Barcelona or walking through a terminal in Chicago, I’ve started noticing a recurring splash of color in the crowd: those unmistakable, multi-colored Cotopaxi jackets.

They stand out in a sea of tech-black and slate-grey outdoor gear like a beacon of intentionality.

For a brand that started just over a decade ago, this level of visibility is no accident—it’s the result of building a brand that people don’t just wear, but actually believe in.

When Cotopaxi (#50) burst onto the scene in 2014, it wasn’t just another gear company; it was a mission with a supply chain.

Founded by Davis Smith, Stephan Jacob, and CJ Whittaker in Salt Lake City, the brand was built on the radical idea that business could be a primary vehicle for poverty alleviation.

The name itself—taken from an iconic Ecuadorian volcano—honors the Latin American landscapes that shaped Smith’s childhood and fueled his commitment to fighting global inequity.

Values in the Fabric

From day one, Cotopaxi’s “Gear for Good®” philosophy was more than a slogan—it was baked into the product.

This is best seen in the Del Día collection, where factory workers are given complete creative control over each bag's colorways.

By using 100% repurposed deadstock fabric, the brand doesn't just minimize landfill waste; it empowers the people "behind the seams" to be designers.

The result? No two bags are identical, giving customers a physical piece of the brand’s authentic, human-centric story.

The impact is measurable. According to their 2025 Impact Report, the Cotopaxi Foundation has helped over 4.25 million people through grants focused on health, education, and livelihoods.

While many brands pledge a portion of profits, Cotopaxi pledges 1% of annual revenue, ensuring their social impact grows alongside their scale, regardless of the bottom line.

The Litmus Test of Authenticity

Authenticity isn’t just about having a founder with a good story; it’s about how the brand behaves when the founder steps away.

In 2023, Davis Smith transitioned to the role of Chairman of the Board to serve a three-year voluntary religious mission in Brazil.

Rather than the brand losing its way, CEO Damien Huang (formerly of Eddie Bauer and Patagonia) has leaned even further into transparency.

Damien Huang

Cotopaxi now publicly tracks and lists the sustainability targets of nearly all its suppliers.

This "open-book" approach is what keeps the brand grounded even as it expands into major international markets and scales toward becoming a household name.

Navigating the Future of Growth

As Cotopaxi moves into 2026, its journey offers a masterclass in scaling with soul.

While rapid growth naturally brings the challenge of maintaining operational perfection, the brand has used these "growth pains" as opportunities to refine its systems—investing in localized distribution (such as its recent Canadian expansion) and enhanced digital experiences to ensure the customer journey matches the quality of the mission.

Ultimately, Cotopaxi proves that a "Good" mission is most effective when paired with a commitment to constant improvement.

By staying transparent about their goals and doubling down on their circularity programs, they are showing that an authentic brand doesn't have to be perfect— it just has to be honest, consistent, and remarkably colorful.

| Takeaways

1. Lead with why — Consumers connect deeply with brands that stand for something beyond profit.

2. Turn values into actions — It’s not enough to say you care; show it in product design, sourcing, and impact.

3. Be transparent about growth and challenges — Authentic brands share both wins and areas they’re improving.

4. Make mission part of the experience — Purpose isn’t a tagline; it’s woven into the story you give people to carry with them.

| Tell Us

| Time To Choose

What Brands Are Authentic? It is time once again to choose which brands you feel are authentic. 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

Photo by Alex Bracken on Unsplash

| Tools

| Past Reports

🛒 The Costco Playbook

📚 The Go-Giver Revisited

💯 Authenticity Is Everything 

🛠️ Carhartt x Ford: Authenticity In Action

⚠️ Why Authenticity No Longer Works

| Support

Show your support for Authenticity.co by picking up one of our unique items and sharing what matters to you.

| Top Voices

What Does Authenticity Mean To You?

This newsletter is an exclusive benefit to our Authenticity community.

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.

Our tools to help you:
• The Authentic Brand Audit Kit

Like what you see?
• Share With Your Friends 
• Follow Us Online

Disclosure: Some content in this newsletter may be generated with the assistance of AI tools for research and drafting. It was reviewed, edited, and fact-checked by our human editorial team before publication.

This Week’s Report
—> The Costco Playbook
—> Tell Us
—> Takeaways
—> Authenticity Roundup
—> Top Voices

| The Costco Playbook: Loyalty Over Hype

For years, I’ve watched Costco (#52), the leading membership-only warehouse club, not just dominate retail, but do it in a way that feels real, like a brand that actually keeps its promises.

The secret sauce isn’t flashy marketing or celebrity spokespeople, it’s consistent value and trust.

Take its Kirkland Signature line: in 2025, its private-label brand alone generated about $90 billion and accounted for a third of Costco’s sales, all without much traditional advertising.

Costco relies on word of mouth and quality that often matches or beats national brands in price and performance.

You can see this authenticity in both the products and the stories people share online.

One Costco member on Reddit recently described how Costco gave them price adjustments and rebates on a TV purchase without being asked.

This gesture left them “shocked and impressed” by the company’s integrity and willingness to help customers.

For example, Costco and Nike surprised customers with a sudden product release in January 2026.

Some warehouses quietly sold Kirkland Signature × Nike SB Dunk Low sneakers, with only about 500 pairs per location.

They sold out in minutes, leading to long lines and a rush to resell them online. Some resellers asked for much more than the original $135 price.

On social media, people posted reactions like “I hit the drop!” and “They’re crazy ugly but so fun.”

These were genuine, unfiltered responses to a brand moment that felt real, not staged.

These are real customer voices, not paid influencers, and that’s why the Costco brand feels trustworthy.

Costco’s authenticity also comes from its leadership.

Co-founder Jim Sinegal famously said, “If you raise the hot dog, I will kill you,” when others suggested raising the price.

He kept the $1.50 hot dog and soda combo as a symbol of value and consistency, even when raising the price seemed reasonable.

That story is more than just funny; it’s a key part of the brand, showing that loyalty comes from keeping promises to customers.

Even after CEO Craig Jelinek retired in 2024, this approach continues.

Costco keeps investing in low prices, growing the Kirkland brand, and using digital tools to make shopping easier.

All of this reflects Costco’s commitment to authenticity.

While many retailers follow trends, Costco stands out by focusing on doing the right thing for its members, employees, and communities.

Its values page still puts people first, saying, “When we do the right thing, good things happen.” 

It emphasizes caring for members, respecting differences, and building long-term trust instead of chasing short-term profits.

This is why people pay high membership fees and keep coming back—they trust Costco to keep its promises.

In a time when many brands only talk, this kind of authenticity is rare and powerful.

| Tell Us

| Takeaways

1. Keep Brand Promises — Consistency builds trust faster than clever advertising ever will.

2. Let Customers Talk — Organic praise from actual users is brand gold.

3. Champion Value Over Hype — Long-term relationships beat short-term sales spikes.

4. Ground Leadership in Principles — Values that guide decisions shape a brand’s real reputation.

| Time To Choose

What Brands Are Authentic? It is time once again to choose which brands you feel are authentic. 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

photo: Apple Music

| Tools

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.

• Brand vs. Consumer Values Alignment Checklist  

• Brand Storytelling Scorecard  

• Authenticity 500 - Top 5 Brand Recap

• Authenticity 500 - Brand Takeaways

• Enhancing Your Personal Authenticity - Worksheet

More tools to come soon!

| Past Reports

📚 The Go-Giver Revisited

💯 Authenticity Is Everything 

🛠️ Carhartt x Ford: Authenticity In Action

⚠️ Why Authenticity No Longer Works

| Support

Show your support for Authenticity.co by picking up one of our unique items and sharing what matters to you.

| Top Voices

What Does Authenticity Mean To You?

This newsletter is an exclusive benefit to our Authenticity community.

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.

Our tools to help you:
• Brand vs. Consumer Values Alignment Checklist  
• Brand Storytelling Scorecard  
• Authenticity 500 - Top 5 Brand Recap
• Authenticity 500 - Brand Takeaways
• Enhancing Your Personal Authenticity - Worksheet

Like what you see?
• Share With Your Friends 
• Follow Us Online

Disclosure: Some content in this newsletter may be generated with the assistance of AI tools for research and drafting. It was reviewed, edited, and fact-checked by our human editorial team before publication.

This Week’s Report
—> The Go-Giver, Revisited
—> Tell Us
—> Takeaways
—> Authenticity Roundup
—> Top Voices

| The Go-Giver, Revisited: Why Authenticity Wins

I recently re-read The Go-Giver, and it hit differently this time.

Maybe it’s age, maybe it’s experience, or maybe it’s the cultural moment we’re in — but the book’s central message felt less like a business philosophy and more like a survival guide for staying human in a transactional world.

At its core, The Go-Giver is about shifting from getting to giving.

But the part that stuck with me most is this: giving only works when it’s authentic.

Forced generosity is marketing. Authentic generosity is identity.

The book’s principles — value first, serve many, put others’ interests first, stay open to receiving, and lead with authenticity — are essentially a blueprint for living in alignment with one's values.

Authenticity isn’t a branding exercise; it’s a daily practice of congruence between what you say, what you believe, and how you act.

When those three line up, trust compounds.

People can feel when generosity is strategic versus when it’s sincere.

You can apply this immediately: listen more than you pitch, create value before asking for attention, and let your actions quietly confirm your intentions.

Authenticity is less about declaring who you are and more about consistently demonstrating it.

This is precisely why the brands that score high in the Authenticity 500 Index resonate so deeply.

Patagonia doesn’t talk about environmental responsibility as a campaign — they operationalize it, even when it costs them.

REI’s Opt Outside initiative sacrifices a day of peak retail sales to reinforce a belief system.

Ben & Jerry’s continues to take social stands that risk alienating customers but strengthen trust with the community they’re actually for.

These brands among many others embody Go-Giver thinking: they create value beyond the product.

Their authenticity isn’t polished; it’s principled.

And consumers reward principled brands with loyalty that can’t be bought with ad spend.

For brands, the lesson is clear: generosity scales when it’s baked into culture, not bolted onto marketing.

The companies winning in the long term are the ones asking, How do we serve? before asking, How do we sell? 

When authenticity becomes the operating system, growth becomes a byproduct, not the goal.

The same applies to individuals.

Whether you’re building a career, a company, or a personal brand, the most durable advantage you can have is being unmistakably, consistently real.

In a noisy market, sincerity is a competitive moat.

| Tell Us

| Takeaways

1. Give Value Before You Ask
Create meaningful value first, and trust becomes the natural return.

2. Authenticity Is a Daily Practice
Alignment between belief and behavior builds credibility over time.

3. Service Creates Sustainable Loyalty
People stay loyal to those who consistently prioritize their needs.

4. Principled Brands Outlast Campaigns
Values-driven companies build equity that advertising alone cannot buy.

| Time To Choose

What Brands Are Authentic? It is time once again to choose which brands you feel are authentic. 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

| Tools

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.

• Brand vs. Consumer Values Alignment Checklist  

• Brand Storytelling Scorecard  

• Authenticity 500 - Top 5 Brand Recap

• Authenticity 500 - Brand Takeaways

• Enhancing Your Personal Authenticity - Worksheet

More tools to come soon!

| Past Reports

💯 Authenticity Is Everything 

🛠️ Carhartt x Ford: Authenticity In Action

⚠️ Why Authenticity No Longer Works

🚲 Bike Industry Has An Authenticity Problem

| Support

Show your support for Authenticity.co by picking up one of our unique items and sharing what matters to you.

| Top Voices

What Does Authenticity Mean To You?

This newsletter is an exclusive benefit to our Authenticity community.

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.

Our tools to help you:
• Brand vs. Consumer Values Alignment Checklist  
• Brand Storytelling Scorecard  
• Authenticity 500 - Top 5 Brand Recap
• Authenticity 500 - Brand Takeaways
• Enhancing Your Personal Authenticity - Worksheet

Like what you see?
• Share With Your Friends 
• Follow Us Online

Disclosure: Some content in this newsletter may be generated with the assistance of AI tools for research and drafting. It was reviewed, edited, and fact-checked by our human editorial team before publication.

This Week’s Report
—> Authenticity Is Everything
—> Tell Us
—> Takeaways
—> Authenticity Roundup
—> Top Voices

| Authenticity Is Everything

Why it matters more than ever for brands — and your personal brand

There’s a simple truth we’ve believed from day one at Authenticity:
if you can’t prove it, you don’t have it.

We didn’t just launch a platform or a community — we registered trademarks for “Authenticity” and “Authenticity Is Everything” because the word is being overused, misunderstood, and diluted. It shows up in pitch decks, job titles, and campaigns everywhere… but too often without the behavior to back it up.

If everyone claims authenticity, then no one owns it.

That’s exactly why the trademark matters. Not for control — but for accountability. As we shared in our past newsletter, this was about protecting the meaning behind the word and creating a standard brands and individuals could actually live up to — not just market around.

Look at the brands that consistently rise to the top of the Authenticity 500 Index. They don’t get there through clever messaging. They get there through consistent action.

Patagonia (#1) didn’t just say it cares about the environment — it urged consumers not to buy its products on Black Friday and restructured ownership so profits help fight climate change.

Ben & Jerry’s (#2) has never separated its product from its values. As co-founder Ben Cohen once said,

“Business has a responsibility to give back to the community.”

Vans (#3) continues to invest in the creative communities that built the brand in the first place — not as a campaign, but as culture.

These brands don’t chase relevance. They build trust by staying true to who they’ve always been.

The same is true for personal branding.

Authenticity isn’t about sharing everything — it’s about aligning what you say with what you do. People connect with consistency more than perfection.

One community member on Authenticity.co shared something that stuck with me:

“The moment I stopped trying to sound like a leader and started speaking like myself was the moment people actually started listening.”

Vulnerability builds credibility. Transparency builds trust. Over time, those two things build influence.

Your audience — whether customers, peers, or collaborators — isn’t buying your title or your story.

They’re buying confidence that what you represent today will still be true tomorrow.

Here’s the bottom line:

Authenticity isn’t a marketing strategy.
It’s a long-term commitment to alignment.

We trademarked Authenticity Is Everything because we believe trust is the most valuable currency a brand or person can build — and it’s earned through action, not intention.

The brands that endure understand this.
The people who lead with it stand out.

The question worth asking isn’t
“Does this sound authentic?”
It’s
“Can I prove it over time?”

| Tell Us

| Takeaways

1. Actions Build Authenticity
Consistency in behavior matters more than a perfectly worded message.

2. Values Need Visibility
If your values don’t show up in decisions, they aren’t values — they’re slogans.

3. Vulnerability Creates Trust
Sharing lessons and challenges builds stronger connections than polished narratives.

4. Alignment Is the Real Brand Strategy
When who you are and what you do match, credibility follows naturally.

| Time To Choose

What Brands Are Authentic? It is time once again to choose which brands you feel are authentic. 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

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| Tools

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.

• Brand vs. Consumer Values Alignment Checklist  

• Brand Storytelling Scorecard  

• Authenticity 500 - Top 5 Brand Recap

• Authenticity 500 - Brand Takeaways

• Enhancing Your Personal Authenticity - Worksheet

More tools to come soon!

| Past Reports

🛠️ Carhartt x Ford: Authenticity In Action

⚠️ Why Authenticity No Longer Works

🚲 Bike Industry Has An Authenticity Problem

🔍 What Makes a Brand Authentic in 2025?

👖 GAP: Rediscovering Its Voice in Culture

| Support

Show your support for Authenticity.co by picking up one of our unique items and sharing what matters to you.

| Top Voices

What Does Authenticity Mean To You?

This newsletter is an exclusive benefit to our Authenticity community.

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.

Our tools to help you:
• Brand vs. Consumer Values Alignment Checklist  
• Brand Storytelling Scorecard  
• Authenticity 500 - Top 5 Brand Recap
• Authenticity 500 - Brand Takeaways
• Enhancing Your Personal Authenticity - Worksheet

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Disclosure: Some content in this newsletter may be generated with the assistance of AI tools for research and drafting. It was reviewed, edited, and fact-checked by our human editorial team before publication.