Today’s consumers don’t trust the artificial, two-dimensional images that used to work in ads. Sadly, many brand managers haven’t figured this out. They’re selling fairy tales in a reality-TV world. They haven’t learned that imperfections can actually be a source of great appeal.

It’s not that people are drawn to products’ shortcomings; it’s that they’ve grown suspicious of things that seem too pure. To be strong, brands need authenticity, and that can be found in a brand’s shadows, or its darker attributes—what market researchers call “negative equity” and brand managers try their hardest to hide.

We need to be authentic in the way we deal with people in our business and everyday life. While it’s always tempting to portray ourselves as something or someone “better” than we are, there can be some inherent pitfalls in this approach. In the long-term, it comes down to authenticity.

When you’re true to yourself, your business, and your customers, you don’t need to live up to a fake persona. Your market will respond to YOU and appreciate your unique approach. It might not be everyone’s cup of tea, but it doesn’t need to be.

Those who know they can depend on consistency and authenticity from you will be your strongest advocates. In turn, they will sing your praises in the face of the flash and dazzle your competitors use to try and win attention. And while some may be suckered in by cheap tricks, authenticity will win hands-down in the long-term.

Not being authentic in the way you present yourself is never a smart business decision!

Summing-up: Perfect purity is perfectly dull. In our personal lives, we’re hardly ever attracted to slick virtue; we love people with all their faults and flaws and contradictions. Likewise with brands. In acknowledging their shadows, brands target the right people, and they do so convincingly. Their shadows make them stronger.