Il marketing dell’autenticità in condizioni critiche. Il caso degli Afterhours al Festival di Sanremo

The aim of the paper is to investigate some critical aspects of authenticity marketing. In particular, consumers’ responses to a brand’s crisis of authenticity are analysed by means of an empirical research based on ethnographic tools. Findings show that the perception of authenticity on the part of individuals tends to dynamically change over time. Specifically, authenticity seems to be able to be constructed or deconstructed even by final consumers. However, the article also illustrates the importance of brand communication in order to properly guide individuals in their process of authenticity co-creation. Finally, marketing implications of the study are provided.