Nerd Alert: What Makes an Ad Authentic

Welcome to Nerd Alert, a series of special episodes bridging the gap between marketing academia and practitioners. We’re breaking down highly involved, complex research into plain language and takeaways any marketer can use.

In this episode, Elena and Rob discover that authenticity in advertising isn't what most marketers think it is. They explore four distinct dimensions of authenticity and reveal why the most "real" ads don't always drive the best results.

Topics covered:   

• [01:00] "Does it Pay to Be Real: Understanding Authenticity and TV Advertising"
• [02:00] The four dimensions of authenticity in advertising
• [03:00] Why brand essence beats heritage and realism
• [05:00] When unrealistic ads outperform everyday scenarios
• [07:00] How product type and brand size affect authenticity strategy
• [08:00] Why user-generated content isn't always the answer 

 





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Resources: 
Becker, Maren, Nico Wiegand, and Werner Reinartz. “Does It Pay to Be Real? Understanding Authenticity in TV Advertising.” Journal of Marketing Research. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0022242918815880
 

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