The Authenticity Opportunity


Authenticity means different things to different people. But, attributes of authenticity keep showing up in our society as important elements of quality. At its most basic level, it seems that people associate authenticity with honesty, truth, and integrity – essential elements of trust in any relationship. In the consumer marketplace, authenticity is often seen as the antithesis of commercialism.


In our work with destinations, we have seen increasing evidence that authenticity is a social trend that influences consumers’ decisions to visit one destination over another. Individual attractions or whole destinations are viewed with suspicion if they fail to remain “true” to their core purpose. More importantly, destinations that effectively communicate their authentic attributes and add new experiences that introduce their authentic importance can reach new audiences and find growth potential.


James H. Gilmore and B. Joseph Pine II have perhaps made the best contribution to the study of authenticity in the marketplace. Their book: Authenticity – What Consumers Really Want (Harvard Business School Press) outlines many of the most important aspects of the emergence of authenticity. But their book also highlights the difficulty in implementing authenticity as a strategy.


“To thine own self be true, and it must follow, as the


night the day, thou canst not then be false to any man.” – William Shakespeare, from Hamlet, Act 1, scene 3


To find better ways to develop authenticity-based strategies, we recently commissioned a nationwide consumer research study that explores the importance and attributes of authenticity in destinations. In commissioning this study, we joined forces with Conner Prairie (www.connerprairie.org), a wonderful interactive history park near Indianapolis.


Our study confirmed that authenticity is important – in fact 80% of attractions’ visitors reported that they like to visit places that are authentic. Eighty-one percent (81%) of them indicated that destinations that had authentic attributes are viewed much more favorably, had better brand perception, higher satisfaction, and greater intent-to-return than destinations not having authentic characteristics. Perhaps most importantly, the study revealed which attributes of authenticity are most important to travel and leisure consumers.


Authenticity is a powerful tool. Destinations that already have clearly defined attributes of authenticity can reach into a broadening pool of interested consumers by ensuring that their offerings are relevant, interesting, and appealing to these broader audiences. In this issue we feature Conner Prairie’s 1859 Balloon Voyage – an experience that has enhanced the Park’s appeal to hard-to-reach groups, such as teenagers. Destinations without clearly defined attributes of authenticity have perhaps even more potential for growth by finding appropriate ways to enhance their authentic attributes.


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