Authenticity has long been a buzzword in marketing, but with 51% of people saying that less than half of brands create ‘authentic’ content, there’s a significant disconnect with audiences. Canvas8 spoke to Dr. James Oakley to find out what factors affect whether something is seen as genuine.

Balancing privacy concerns with optimal experience has been a challenge for digital marketers. But when or why are ads seen as more acceptable by consumers? Canvas8 spoke to Dr. Tami Kim, assistant professor of marketing, to understand why people feel negatively about targeted advertising.

The mirror selfie, that ubiquitous social media post, is not what it seems. A TikToker has revealed that the pose is often created using two cameras and no mirror at all. ‘Realness’ may be a form of cultural capital online, but people are open to using artificial means to create visual ‘authenticity’.

Even as the dust still settles on the stormed Capitol, many Americans’ political grievance du jour is with the February cover of Vogue. The magazine is under fire for an insufficiently grand image of Kamala Harris – suggesting that ‘authenticity’, though highly-prized, isn’t suited to all portrayals.