Beyond selling — how true relevance is built through authenticity and culture
According to Deloitte’s study, Brand Connection – The Age of Meaningful Brands, a global survey of over 7,000 consumers reveals a significant shift: trust is growing in local businesses (43.1%) and niche brands (39%), while confidence in large brands lags behind (36.9%).
This trend is particularly strong in Italy, where 45.7% of respondents say they feel no strong attachment to any brand — highlighting a high propensity for brand switching.
Andrea Laurenza, Consumer Industry Leader at Deloitte Central Mediterranean, contextualises the data: “In recent years, brands have consolidated their position, but loyalty can no longer be taken for granted. Companies with clear identities, authentic narratives, and direct relationships are rewarded by consumers.”
In an era of consumer volatility, the ultimate challenge is clear: a brand must move beyond mere existence and achieve true relevance.
From visibility to meaning: What brand relevance actually looks like
So, what does this relevance look like when the campaign launches and the social media posts go live? It’s a practice far more nuanced than just being seen.
As Laurenza puts it, “Being relevant for a brand means occupying an authentic space in people’s lives. True relevance is achieved when a brand doesn’t just sell, but takes part in the cultural conversation, remaining faithful to its identity even as the context evolves.”
This means:
- Resonance over noise. It’s not about shouting the loudest, but speaking with a voice that aligns with your audience’s values and your own core identity.
- Action over announcement. It’s the difference between a brand making a statement on a complex geopolitical or social issue, and one that aligns its operations with its values. The latter overhauls its supply chain for genuine sustainability. It ensures equitable labour practices from the ground up. Or contributes to humanitarian efforts in ways that feel authentic to its identity. The question is no longer if a brand should take a stand, but how it can do so with coherence, substance, and integrity — rather than merely jumping on a trending topic.
- Consistency in the conversation. It’s about maintaining a steady voice and set of principles even as trends and algorithms shift.
The Deloitte data confirms it: today, the bond with a brand is built on usefulness, authenticity, and quality. Loyalty is earned, not given.
Brand connection: meaning?
But what do they really mean by meaning?
Have you noticed how some brands use their platform to show solidarity with Palestine or Ukraine?
Have you heard others speak out against social injustice?
Or commit to climate action in ways that go beyond mere greenwashing?
And is simply being on social media enough?
Our search for authentic space
In conclusion, the findings of the Deloitte report resonate deeply with us.
At suite123, we believe in brand connection because we champion meaningful garments — which can only come from meaningful brands.
Naturally, this leads us to reflect on our own path.
How does a small, independent brand like ours — one that chooses depth over noise and purpose over volume — occupy an authentic space?
For us, relevance has never been just a metric for sales. If it were, the journey would be easier, but far less fulfilling.
Our sense of relevance lies in contributing to the cultural conversation with consistency and integrity.
It’s about proving that a brand can be small in scale yet significant in meaning.
It’s about staying real in a world of curated feeds.
And in that space — the space of authenticity, depth, and connection — is exactly where we intend to be.