Some brands are as familiar and comfortable to engage with as old friends. These are brands that have cemented themselves into public consciousness, and they’ve done it through clever and considered efforts – and killer communication strategies.

Twenty years ago, you might have been able to seem original. If your offering was new and pioneering or other vendors were geographically distant, you might have managed to carve out a niche. But, the marketplace is beyond crowded now. With every fad that spirals into a trend, a thousand new businesses are born, many of them indistinguishable, copycats or just opportunists riding the coattails of their predecessors.

As consumers, we’ve become adept at reading and decoding marketing. In a way, we’ve all become multilingual and traditional marketing no longer resonates. Gen Z, the most powerful consumer group of the very near future, combined with millennials, have led the charge on this front.

You know you need to show authenticity, but how? Where? When? And, what will happen if you don’t? Communicating your brand and engaging with your audience authentically should be a major component of your brand and communication strategy.

Whether you’re a start-up itching to be first out of the gate with your new tech or a business that’s already operating but not gaining traction, here’s the deal: You need a brand strategy. You need a brand strategy even if you’re already selling your product, even if you know there’s demand for your services. Even if you’ve got a name and a logo and a license all lined up. Here’s why.