HBR Case Study

Authenticity: Is It Real or Is It Marketing?

Presented By (Group !:
Arpita Bahadur Gaura" #u$ar Manish Gupta Pa"an #u$ar Ran%ini # Ballal &ani &yas

'"er"ie(: )hese are the *ollo(ing i$portant in*erences *ro$ the case+

Marty is appointed as the head o* $arketing in Hunsk ,nginesMarty has earned a reputation as a .ocused Miracle /orker *ro$ his earlier %o0s '"er the ti$e Hunsk ,ngines has syste$atically de"alued its considera0le pedigree1o( Marty2s *ocus is to regain Hunsk2s *a$e as a cult 0rand and place Hunsk as a 3R,A4 C'MPA152He is trying to i$pro"e Hunsk2s Custo$er 4oyalty 0y e$phasi6ing on 7PASSI'1 BI#I1G8 as here custo$ers are percei"ed to 0e 3Belie"ers2He is directing Hunsk ,ngines to 3Go+0ack to its roots2 and esta0lish itsel* as an Authentic Co$panyBut Marty *ound that e$ployees in Hunsk (ere not Authentic although they (ere intrinsically $oti"ated-

9uestion: Should Gordon continue to 0ack Marty2s no hold 0arred Authenticity approach? Ans: Marty2s Approach: Introducing Back+to+roots strategy in organi6ation.ocusing on authenticity (ithin the organi6ation 0y in*using the internal custo$ers (e$ployees! (ith the *eel o* Hunsk 0eing an Authentic Co$panyStressed Hunsk to hold on to its "aluesBelie"ed that e$ployees :1A 0e sa$e as that o* custo$ers:e+e$phasis on Cause Marketing-

:iscouraged those e$ployees (hose $indset (as not si$ilar to that o* Marty2s,$phasi6ed that corporate culture needs to re*lect the authenticity o* the 0randing $essage it sends out-

Marty2s no+hold+0arred approach did i$pro"e Hunsk2s position as an Authentic Co$pany (hich could 0e seen in results+ ne( tagline; ne( ads and the ne( looks)he Marketing Ca$paign (as dyna$icBut his approach also let so$e "ery good people in $arketing depart$ent *eel out o* place- ,$ployees throughout the co$pany (ho had done terri*ic (ork *or years (ere *eeling dis$issed; censored; $arginali6ed/e 0elie"e that Gordon should 0ack Marty to+ Instill the 0rand<product2s attri0utes into the organi6ation to $ake Hunsk a $ore authentic co$pany.ocus on the three ele$ents that pro"ide the *oundation *or organi6ational authenticity: identity; i$age; and actions,$ployees at Hunsk to 7li"e the 0rand8:irect Hunsk to resol"e the inconsistency 0y gi"ing up *or+purpose actions and 0eco$e an authentic *or+pro*it 0usinessCreate a (ork culture (here e$ployees (ill ha"e a sa$e $indset as that o* custo$ers-

)hese actions (ill e$po(er Hunsk to 0e $ore Authentic (hich (ill =

+ + + + +

i$pro"e the creati"ity o* e$ployees $oti"ate e$ployees e$ployees are percei"ed as identi*ied (ith the organi6ation Authentic *unctioning sti$ulates e$pathy Authentic *unctioning sti$ulates integrity

Custo$ers (ill start associating the$sel"es (ith Hunsk a*ter seeing the ne( pro$otions (hich (ill help Hunsk ,ngines to regain its cult status-

)here is a flip side to all o* this ho(e"er- Marty takes the concept o* authenticity a little too *ar and al$ost to a *anatic point- His li$iting on the careers >non+0iker> e$ployees is one thing that could de*initely hurt Hunsk- May0e increasing 0iker spirit solely in the $arketing depart$ent $ight help? doing it throughout the co$pany is de*initely har$*ul- .iona; *or e@a$ple; (as "ery co$petent and producti"e; 0ut (as pre"ented *ro$ ad"ancing 0ecause she didnAt ha"e a passion *or $otorcycles in particular- She then presu$a0ly (ent to search *or a %o0 else(here- /hat i* this happened to the co$panyAs engineers and designers too? Most people capa0le o* 0uilding and producing a superior $otorcycle donAt ha"e a personal interest in o(ning one the$sel"es- )his could lead to skilled e$ployees lea"ing the co$pany; resulting in the decline o* product Buality; (hich (ould then lead to a loss o* custo$ers- 'nce again on the hel$et issue; Marty is passing up a pri$e 0usiness opportunity *or the i$age o* authenticity- Hunsk could sign agree$ents (ith a hel$et $aker to ad"ertise their hel$ets alongside their superior $otorcycles *or Buite a 0it o* $oneyAll in all; /e 0elie"e that the idea o* going authentic is a good one; 0ut it shouldnAt 0e taken too *ar- I* a co$pany 0egins to oppress e$ployees and dri"e the$ a(ay all *or the sake o* i$age; then they ha"e taken too *ar- Ho(e"er; i* they $ake so$e changes to increase their appeal to custo$ers and e@pand their $arket share; authenticity can 0e "ery help*ul-

Considering the above insights we want Gordon to direct Marty in these ways: Gordon can suggest alternati"e $echanis$s to Marty- Gordon can e$po(er Marty to hire and $anage a custo$er relationship $anage$ent tea$ (hich (ould 0e in"ol"ed in custo$er interaction and these tea$s can re*lect the passion that Marty needs translated to his custo$ers<$arket- )his (ay Marty (ill 0e gi"en the *reedo$ to e@ecute his custo$er *ocused ca$paign- )he organi6ation can tie up (ith real (orld $otorists and Marty can achie"e his "ision *or the organi6ation "ia di**erent $eansGordon pro$ises to increase e$ployee a(areness and interest in the product 0y trainings< *ield trips<custo$er e"ents- A change o* this $agnitude has to 0e achie"ed incre$entally -)he e$ployees can still 0e "alua0le contri0utors to the

0usiness e"en i* they are not passionate Hunsk riders- Gordon should appreciate Marty *or his custo$er *ocus and organi6ational "ision (hile at the sa$e ti$e encouraging hi$ not to tradeo** the *ocus on e$ployees (ho are an asset to the organi6ation/ith this solution; MartyAs "ision; the organi6ational needs and e$ployee $orale are all preser"ed-