Shook and Halfway Crooks - Authenticity and Branding
A shook one is an inauthentic crook. Don’t let your brand get shook.
Mobb Deep’s Shook Ones pt. 2 is a (brilliant) song about authenticity. A “shook one” is someone who acts hardcore, but when it comes down to it, is just an inauthentic coward. Belief and actions are disconnected, and according to Mobb, there is no such thing as halfway. You’re either 100% in or 100% out.
Prodigy and Havoc were dabbling in existentialism with this track and in doing so, dropping knowledge on a critical brand management concept - authenticity.
In brand circles, the word “authentic” is about as common as a references to Queensbridge in 90s hip-hop songs. Not a day goes by without hearing X product is the authentic coffee, soda, car….whatever in a meeting or presentation. While the word is played and often misused, the concept does have meaning and value for brand managers. In fact, when understood and used correctly, it is one of the most important ideas in brand management.
In branding, you will get shook if you aren’t “stuck off the realness.” To be an authentic brand, you must first know what your brand believes and desires and then act in concert. Of course, brand values change over time, but at any given time in the brand’s life, the belief system and actions must connect if the brand is to read as authentic.
Here’s how to keep it authentic -
Define a set of core brand beliefs.
Codify the beliefs as principles and integrate them into decision making discussions.
Consult the principles endlessly and revise as needed.
Is it authentic for your brand to launch a health and wellness product? Consult the brand beliefs. Is it authentic for Jay-Z to endorse your product, consult the brand beliefs. And so on so you don’t get shook.
It is critical to remember that authenticity is not fixed, but it also does not blow in the wind. Authenticity is a dynamic process of endless becoming in a changing society and world, rather than a fixed state of being. Your beliefs can change, and therefore so can your actions, but change should happen slowly and not season to season.