Commodities – Natural authenticity
People tend to perceive as authentic that which exists in its natural state in or of the earth, remaining untouched by human hands; not artificial or synthetic.
Growers of organic foods, in forsaking fertilizers and pesticides, appeal to this genre of authenticity. So do numerous soap manufacturers, such as Indigo Wild and the Rocky Mountain Soap Company, which hand-make soap in slabs from only natural ingredients (like goat's milk and kiwi seeds), using little packaging and exposing the soap so one can see and touch the bar.
Goods – Original authenticity
People tend to perceive as authentic that which possesses originality in design, being the first of its kind, never before seen before by human eyes; not a copy or imitation.
Almost everything that Apple designs – from the iPod to the Genius Bar in its Apple stores – seeks to appeal to this genre of authenticity. Even its slogan, "Think Different," is originally ungrammatical. Likewise, Blue Man Group appeals to original authenticity, with three blue men doing things on stage that no one has ever seen before.
Services – Exceptional authenticity
People tend to perceive as authentic that which is done exceptionally well, executed individually and extraordinarily by someone demonstrating human care; not unfeelingly or disingenuously performed.
Any company that encourages its people to genuinely care about customers and respond to their individual needs – think of Nordstrom or Southwest Airlines in industries known for treating customers anonymously and often downright poorly – appeals to exceptional authenticity.
Experiences – Referential authenticity
People tend to perceive as authentic that which refers to some other context, drawing inspiration from human history, and tapping into our shared memories and longings; not derivative or trivial.
Iconic experiences ... drinking beer in England, the Chinese tea ceremony, and so forth all exhibit referential authenticity, drawing their inspiration from the rituals of long-standing cultures. Whenever you read a review that says a novel or movie is "real" or "authentic" it is because the novelist or director renders their work referentially real, a verisimilitude of real life.
Goods – Influential authenticity
People tend to perceive as authentic that which exerts influence on other entities, calling human beings to a higher goal and providing a foretaste of a better way; not inconsequential or without meaning.
The wave of interest in sustainability in building construction – for homes, offices, and factories – stems from this genre of authenticity, as do fair trade practices and the like. Even Hard Rock Café's tagline, "Save the Planet," seeks to render the restaurant venue more real via influential authenticity.
In any offering appealing to authenticity you encounter one or more of these five genres – and occasionally all five. Consider an entity explicitly chartered with preserving the past – the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization, or UNESCO. In determining which venues it places on its World Heritage List of protected sites, UNESCO issued "Operational Guidelines for the implementation of the World Heritage Convention" – a set of rules for meeting "the test of authenticity" based on "design, material, setting, workmanship" as well as "use, tradition, and spirit/feeling." The rules follow the five genres of authenticity: "materials" (natural), "design" (original), "workmanship" (exceptional), "setting" (referential), "spirit/feeling" (influential).
You find the five genres across a wide variety of circumstances. For example, look at the topics addressed in the 2005 Oxford Symposium on Food and Cookery, as reviewed by the Financial Times: the "natural evolution" of European cheeses (natural), "place of origin" of certain dishes (original), "distinctive food" (exceptional), "recreating" dishes (referential), and how "industrialization
caused ... authentic dishes to disappear" (influential).
The world-renowned timepiece merchant Tourneau once ran full-page ads for its blowout sale, "Watchfest." As "the undisputed authority in the watch industry" (influential), Tourneau touted its sales event as "the biggest thing to happen since Daylight Savings Time" (referential) featuring "the world's largest selection of watches under one roof at a time" (exceptional) including "one-of-a-kind timepieces and new collections never before seen in the United States" (original); and as part of the gala event, one could "enter to win a 10-night trip for two to Australia" (natural). It all adds up to one fine way of rendering authenticity, since you cannot mistake these watches for all the fakes from China.
Interestingly, a place one of us encountered in Chengdu, China – the ten-million-plus-populated capital of the Sichuan province – effectively uses all five genres of authenticity. Jin Li Street exudes authenticity to most anyone who visits. Over four million visitors every year escape the downtown drudgery when they walk through a tower gate and enter a street lined with a tea house, restaurant, hotel, shrine with contemplative gardens, and numerous shops housing artisans who are making and selling their wares on site. Visitors can also experience a ceremonial tea and a Sichuan dinner after they stroll the 350 meters of gardens and shops.
Appealing to natural authenticity, Jin Li's centerpiece is the ancient contemplative gardens, and every material used throughout is traditional, simple, and natural – wood, tile, and brick. The native Sichuan artisans gathered from various parts of the province speak directly to original authenticity. The street bespeaks exceptional authenticity in the uncommon manner everything is done, from construction techniques to ceremonial rituals to personal service. The place even employs referential authenticity, for it is not an ancient street – one meaning of Jin Li is "Fantasy Land" – but a former residential area completely rebuilt (except for the original shrine and gardens) and opened in October 2004. One of its proprietors, Xia Jia, remarks, "The ancient Jin Li Street has faithfully restored the style of the ancient town of Western Sichuan." She and her husband undertook this restoration, with financial backing (not to mention artifacts) from the nearby Wuhou Temple Museum, not just to restore that ancient style but preserve it, not only for tourists to visit but for artisans to practice their craft and find ready markets – directly appealing to influential authenticity. In no way a tourist development, Jin Li Street was created for the inhabitants of Chengdu. If it is now a tourist trap, it's only because it first became a resident trap.
Examine any offering you find authentic – commodity, good, service, experience, or transformation – and you will find one or more of these five genres behind your perceptions, whether explicitly or beneath the surface. The categories are admittedly capacious. In finding ways to render your own offerings authentic, it will not suffice to appeal to some generic form of authenticity; rather, employ one or more genres – natural, original, exceptional, referential, or influential – specifically and intentionally.
With
all the news stories of counterfeit or defective products,
consumers crave authenticity. This excerpt from Authenticity:
What Consumers Really Want defines five categories of product
authenticity, and describes how to use them to communicate
the authenticity of your offerings. 
