A common assumption in product value literature is that authenticity is what contemporary consumers value the most. However, as this paper illustrates, the meaning of authenticity is unclear, and the term appears foreign to product development practitioners. The purpose of this paper is to explore in what ways product development professionals talk about product value in general and how this relates to authenticity. The analysis of the interviews reveals that product developers must embrace authenticity as a holistic framework if the phenomenon is to be constructive for companies within the product development industry. In line with the concept of authenticity as a multi-dimensional framework, this paper suggests that authenticity does not solely result from certain intrinsic tangible or intangible product characteristics, and that commercially strong products and brands do not automatically become “authentic”. The contribution of this paper to the product development fi eld is a framework for a multidimensional construct of authenticity, and an account of what representatives within selected companies talk about when asked about how they create consumer value, and how they contribute to valuable consumer experiences. The fi ndings are analysed and discussed in the context of literature on product development, brand management and marketing management

Kristav, Per; Bäckström, Izabelle; Nordin, Axel; Warell, Anders; Diegel, Olaf

A common assumption in product value literature is that authenticity is what contemporary consumers value the most. However, as this paper illustrates, the meaning of authenticity is unclear, and the term appears foreign to product development practitioners. The purpose of this paper is to explore in what ways product development professionals talk about product value in general and how this relates to authenticity. The analysis of the interviews reveals that product developers must embrace authenticity as a holistic framework if the phenomenon is to be constructive for companies within the product development industry. In line with the concept of authenticity as a multi-dimensional framework, this paper suggests that authenticity does not solely result from certain intrinsic tangible or intangible product characteristics, and that commercially strong products and brands do not automatically become “authentic”. The contribution of this paper to the product development fi eld is a framework for a multidimensional construct of authenticity, and an account of what representatives within selected companies talk about when asked about how they create consumer value, and how they contribute to valuable consumer experiences. The fi ndings are analysed and discussed in the context of literature on product development, brand management and marketing management

Per Kristav (), Izabelle Bäckström (), Axel Nordin (), Anders Warell () and Olaf Diegel ()
Additional contact information
Per Kristav: Department of Design Sciences, Faculty of Engineering, Lund University
Izabelle Bäckström: Department of Design Sciences, Faculty of Engineering, Lund University
Axel Nordin: Department of Design Sciences, Faculty of Engineering, Lund University
Anders Warell: Department of Design Sciences, Faculty of Engineering, Lund University
Olaf Diegel: Department of Design Sciences, Faculty of Engineering, Lund University

Journal of Marketing and Consumer Behaviour in Emerging Markets, 2018, vol. 2, issue 8, 46-65

Keywords: brand value; product value; product authenticity; brand authenticity; authentic design; consumer value (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: D47 M11 M31 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2018
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