Walking in to meet with a new client this week, I was greeted with a one-liner worth blogging about:

“Hi, great to meet you in person! You look just like your photo!”

We laughed — but he brings up an important point. In a world that’s dominated by filtered Instagram influencers, endless stock photos, and Photoshopped tabloids, what you see is rarely what you get. This makes authenticity the key to mastering the marketing fundamentals of know, like, and trust.

And let me tell you, it’s a lot harder than it sounds when it comes to design!

I grappled when it came to choosing a photo for this blog because, well, authenticity. So I’m going to just call myself out right off the bat.

“Hello, Pot here, nice to meet ya kettle!”

Some argue that there is a time and place for stock images when the image isn’t the focus of our message. Others argue there is never a place for generic, disingenuous design. Wherever you land in the debate, here’s a look at why authenticity is key, and how to achieve it.Continue Reading Why the Buzz About Authenticity?