The impulse to build a brand around transparency is completely understandable, but it’s the wrong target. Focusing on “radical transparency” as a marketing strategy often leads to performative gestures that customers see right through. The real goal is to build a company whose actions are so aligned with its values that the marketing becomes a natural byproduct, not the primary objective.
The popular advice is to plaster your values everywhere. We’re told to write a detailed “About Us” page on ethical sourcing, create ad campaigns centered on purpose, and constantly talk about having “no dirty secrets.” The thinking is that modern consumers, particularly Gen Z, demand this. On the surface, this makes sense. It seems like the most direct path to Authentic Brand Building and connecting with people who share your worldview.
This approach, however, is what the hosts of Future Commerce call “slop” in the “Brands After Vibes” episode. It’s a veneer of values, a mood, a feeling that lacks the underlying substance to create a real connection. Customers are growing numb to vague claims about purpose and sustainability. When every brand claims to be transparent, the word loses its meaning. It doesn’t build a genuine bond if it just feels like another marketing tactic. True brand authenticity isn’t a declaration, it’s a demonstration.
Beth Gerstein, the co-founder of Brilliant Earth, went on Retail Remix and didn’t just talk about her company’s values. She detailed the immense operational difficulty of creating genuine supply chain transparency for diamonds and precious metals. The value for the customer isn’t the marketing claim of being “ethical,” it’s the peace of mind that comes from knowing the immense, decade-long work that backs it up. Stacey Grant-Canham of Black & Beech made a similar point on the eCommerce MasterPlan podcast, explaining that her focus is ensuring her company’s growth and product decisions align with the brand’s core values. The values are a filter for business decisions, not just words on a website.
So, what should you do instead? Forget about a “transparency marketing plan” and focus on living your values from the inside out. Let your principles guide your decisions on sourcing, customer service, product development, and even hiring. Does your “no dirty secrets” value mean you proactively tell customers about a shipping delay and explain what you’re doing to fix it, as Michelle Razavi suggested is critical on Shopify Masters? Does it change the kind of affiliate partners you work with? When your operations are a direct reflection of your principles, the right customers are drawn to that substance. That’s when you build a real community, and that community’s belief in what you actually do becomes the most powerful marketing you could ask for.
