There’s been a rise in articles critiquing a new form of masculinity: the widely mocked ‘performative male’. Think straight hipster carrying feminist fiction and a sustainable tote bag. A man performing a form of masculinity that they believe women want, adorned with overt cultural status symbols.

Being a man seen to read has become, at times, more important than what he reads, or what he might have got from reading. We’ve seen this with celebrities; Jacob Elordi name-checking Ottessa Moshfegh novels in interviews, or Bradley Cooper photographed with carefully chosen paperbacks. The weightier or more academic the book, the better. Did these men read these books? Who knows.

Now, of course, lots of men are genuinely reading. But now more and more men are adopting interests or behaviours they don’t genuinely hold; from drinking matcha to reading feminist literature in public, overtly signalling values rather than living them. It’s branding.

But the performative male is learning a brutal lesson. Women, much like audiences in the marketplace, can see through it. Performing an identity you can’t sustain creates anxiety, disappointment, and mistrust. And we know that men have been ‘performing success’ in different forms for years.

Authenticity always matters, whether in dating or in branding. Just as daters are drawn to confidence rooted in genuineness, audiences respond to brands that reflect their values honestly. Superficial attempts to “perform culture” rarely land, sparking more scepticism than connection.

Authenticity attracts

It’s worth recognising that many men who slip into performance aren’t doing so out of malice or manipulation, but from a place of pressure. Today’s cultural psyche is stacked with contradictions: men are told to be emotionally intelligent but stoic, sensitive but strong, progressive but not performative. For many, signalling becomes a survival tactic - an attempt to project the “right” image in a world where the rules are constantly shifting.

But here’s the irony, the very thing men are chasing is connection, and this is undermined by the act of performing. Just as in branding, it’s the unguarded moments that resonate. That’s why figures like Travis Kelce matter. He isn’t selling authenticity; he’s living it. Confidence rooted in genuineness is magnetic.

Kelce does more than drive clicks, he shows how authenticity translates into influence. Brands like American Eagle have tapped this energy to connect with young men in ways that feel empowering, not performative. Cultural relevance isn’t built on mimicry or borrowed aesthetics, but on aligning with values that already ring true.

Short lived performances

Whether it’s a man curating a persona for online dating or a brand borrowing cultural cues for a campaign, performative efforts rarely last. They may create a brief spark of attention, but they collapse under the weight of inconsistency, or risk backlash. Connection and loyalty are rooted in authenticity, not mimicry. Confidence and credibility come from being real, not trying to fit a mold that isn’t yours.

More recently, brands have scrambled to align themselves with Taylor Swift’s cultural moment, referencing her “sparkly orange” aesthetic in a rush to stay relevant. These attempts might grab headlines, but they rarely build lasting resonance. Instead of hijacking someone else’s story, the real opportunity lies in building your own era, an identity that reflects your brand’s true values and voice.

Audiences today are culturally literate and quick to spot when something feels inauthentic. And once that trust is broken, it’s hard to recover. The brands that endure are those willing to step away from performance and commit to consistency, even if it means moving slower or speaking less often.

The authenticity gap

Understanding what people value is powerful. In dating, it’s about listening, learning, and engaging with a partner’s interests authentically rather than simply mirroring what you think they want. True connection emerges when curiosity is sincere, not performative. The same principle applies to marketing and branding. Brands that attempt to “perform” culture, mimic a community’s aesthetic, or signal values they don’t genuinely embody risk alienating their audience. Superficial campaigns may grab attention for a moment, but they rarely foster loyalty.

Brands that misstep risk backlash, lost trust, and long-term damage to brand value. Pretending to “fit in” without truly belonging feels exploitative, and audiences quickly pick up on it. Bud Light’s 2023 partnership with Dylan Mulvaneysparked a conservative-led boycott that cost the brand $1.4 billion and its place as America’s top-selling beer, showing how quickly authenticity, or the lack of it, can hit the bottom line.

Brands that genuinely live the values they promote build trust and emotional resonance with their audiences. This is more than a commercial advantage. Consumers can sense when engagement is authentic versus when it’s contrived. They reward brands that show respect , and understanding, creating emotional bonds that endure far longer than any short-lived marketing stunt.

In practice, this means going beyond research reports or surface-level trends. It’s about embedding yourself in the community, listening to real voices, and letting insights guide meaningful action. Whether it’s co-creating products, supporting cultural movements, or reflecting genuine values in campaigns, authenticity becomes the bridge between brand and audience.

Brands that succeed today are those that embed themselves genuinely within the communities they serve. Unlike the performative male with a bookshelf adorned with feminist literature that’s never been opened, emotional connection is born when authenticity is prioritised over performance.