{"id":1494,"date":"2018-02-28T13:44:30","date_gmt":"2018-02-28T13:44:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.icons.com\/news\/?p=1494"},"modified":"2019-04-17T15:10:42","modified_gmt":"2019-04-17T15:10:42","slug":"from-our-ceo-authenticity-is-everything","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.icons.com\/news\/2018\/02\/28\/from-our-ceo-authenticity-is-everything\/","title":{"rendered":"From Our CEO: Authenticity Is Everything"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"1504\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.icons.com\/news\/2018\/02\/28\/from-our-ceo-authenticity-is-everything\/authenticity-is-everything-blog-post\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/icons.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/Authenticity-is-Everything-Blog-Post-scaled.jpg\" data-orig-size=\"2560,1623\" data-comments-opened=\"0\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"Authenticity-is-Everything-Blog-Post\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/icons.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/Authenticity-is-Everything-Blog-Post-300x190.jpg\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/icons.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/Authenticity-is-Everything-Blog-Post-1024x649.jpg\" class=\"aligncenter size-large wp-image-1504\" src=\"https:\/\/www.icons.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/Authenticity-is-Everything-Blog-Post-1024x649.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"680\" height=\"431\" srcset=\"https:\/\/icons.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/Authenticity-is-Everything-Blog-Post-1024x649.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/icons.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/Authenticity-is-Everything-Blog-Post-300x190.jpg 300w, https:\/\/icons.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/Authenticity-is-Everything-Blog-Post-768x487.jpg 768w, https:\/\/icons.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/Authenticity-is-Everything-Blog-Post-1536x974.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/icons.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/Authenticity-is-Everything-Blog-Post-2048x1298.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 680px) 100vw, 680px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><strong>The dictionary definition of authenticity is \u201cnot false or copied; genuine, real\u201d and I spend every minute of every day worrying about it. <\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Why? Because I run the\u00a0world\u2019s leading signed football memorabilia company,\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.icons.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">Icons Shop Limited<\/a>, and we constantly need to reassure our customers that our items are genuine. If Icons sold one fake signature we would pretty much go bankrupt overnight with our reputation in tatters. Living on\u00a0that knife-edge does focus the mind somewhat.<\/p>\n<p>At Icons, we go to extraordinary lengths to provide evidence of our authenticity. We have long-standing relationships with some of the greats of world football, including contracts with Leo Messi and Diego Maradona. We are the official memorabilia licensee of the FIFA World Cup and the UEFA Champions League. We provide a Certificate of Authenticity with all our products, along with photographic proof, holograms and videos of private signing sessions with the top stars.<\/p>\n<p>Yet every day we\u2019re asked if our products are really signed by the players. It seems all\u00a0the facts on our website are often not enough. People regularly call and email us to express their\u00a0concerns \u2013 they want to be reassured that they can trust us and from our side it becomes about engaging with them on an emotional level.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"MEET THE ICONS!\" width=\"680\" height=\"383\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/3Uxpz6PM6cU?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>One of the things today\u2019s digital marketers do is create ongoing dialogue between brands and their audiences. Traditional advertising shouts a consistent message with a megaphone while a smart brand strikes up a two-way conversation. Consumers want to know more about the products, causes and companies to which they choose to give their money. They\u2019re looking for an emotional connection and digital marketing can bring this to life.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s also made me think about authenticity on a personal level. My wife is the communications director of a social enterprise called\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/leadersquest.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">Leaders\u2019 Quest<\/a>, which works with leaders from all walks of life who want to use their unique influence to create positive change in the world. They talk to their communities about the importance of authenticity and how real leadership shines through when someone is genuine and true to themselves.<\/p>\n<p>Most people are quick to spot self-interest and false charm \u2013 you only have to look to Lance Armstrong on how not to do it. The most successful leaders I know are genuine, honest and great at empathy.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"1507\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.icons.com\/news\/2018\/02\/28\/from-our-ceo-authenticity-is-everything\/from-our-ceo-image-1\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/icons.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/From-Our-CEO-image-1-scaled.jpg\" data-orig-size=\"2560,1623\" data-comments-opened=\"0\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"From-Our-CEO-image-1\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/icons.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/From-Our-CEO-image-1-300x190.jpg\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/icons.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/From-Our-CEO-image-1-1024x649.jpg\" class=\"aligncenter size-large wp-image-1507\" src=\"https:\/\/www.icons.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/From-Our-CEO-image-1-1024x649.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"680\" height=\"431\" srcset=\"https:\/\/icons.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/From-Our-CEO-image-1-1024x649.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/icons.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/From-Our-CEO-image-1-300x190.jpg 300w, https:\/\/icons.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/From-Our-CEO-image-1-768x487.jpg 768w, https:\/\/icons.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/From-Our-CEO-image-1-1536x974.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/icons.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/From-Our-CEO-image-1-2048x1298.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 680px) 100vw, 680px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Authenticity isn\u2019t about being good and worthy, it\u2019s about being who you are, warts and all. Personal authenticity is only achieved when people are honest with themselves. Bren\u00e9 Brown, in her TED Talk\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.ted.com\/talks\/brene_brown_on_vulnerability\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">The Power of Vulnerability<\/a>, describes how showing vulnerability allows people to connect with others on a human level. As brands develop their willingness to have open conversations, they will find ways to connect more deeply with their audience.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><em><span style=\"word-spacing: normal;\">This blog was first published by\u00a0<\/span><a style=\"word-spacing: normal;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.zonedigital.com\/uk\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">Zone Digital\u00a0<\/a><span style=\"word-spacing: normal;\">on their Digital Distractions email newsletter in 2014.<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The dictionary definition of authenticity is \u201cnot false or copied; genuine, real\u201d and I spend every minute of every day worrying about it. Why? Because I run the\u00a0world\u2019s leading signed football memorabilia company,\u00a0Icons Shop Limited, and we constantly need to reassure our customers that our items are genuine. If Icons sold one fake signature we&#8230; <\/p>\n<div class=\"read-more navbutton\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.icons.com\/news\/2018\/02\/28\/from-our-ceo-authenticity-is-everything\/\">Read More<i class=\"fa fa-angle-double-right\"><\/i><\/a><\/div>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[465],"tags":[381,163,291],"class_list":["post-1494","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-from-our-ceo","tag-authenticity","tag-certificate-of-authenticity","tag-icons-shop-limited"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pfQcey-o6","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":1511,"url":"https:\/\/www.icons.com\/news\/2018\/03\/06\/icons-ceo-instrumental-in-bringing-fraudsters-to-justice\/","url_meta":{"origin":1494,"position":0},"title":"Icons CEO Instrumental In Bringing Fraudsters To Justice","author":"Icons.com","date":"March 6, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"Icons Shop Limited CEO, Dan Jamieson, and former head of A1 Sporting Memorabilia, Terry Baker, played key roles in the jailing of David Rennie from FA Premier Signings for the sale of faked signatures. As one of three expert witnesses during the trial, Dan brought forth his expertise in the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Miscellaneous&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Miscellaneous","link":"https:\/\/www.icons.com\/news\/category\/miscellaneous\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.icons.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/Work-For-Us-1-1024x499.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.icons.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/Work-For-Us-1-1024x499.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.icons.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/Work-For-Us-1-1024x499.png?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":695,"url":"https:\/\/www.icons.com\/news\/2016\/04\/15\/how-to-buy-a-genuine-lionel-messi-signed-shirt\/","url_meta":{"origin":1494,"position":1},"title":"How to buy a genuine Lionel Messi signed shirt: A guide to avoiding fakes &#038; unofficial dealers","author":"Icons.com","date":"April 15, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"When searching through Ebay and around the web for a Lionel Messi signed shirt you will be presented with a wide range of items and sellers. Naturally, without the proper experience or research, there can be many potential pitfalls involved in buying signed football memorabilia. So, here are\u00a0some handy tips\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Guides and FAQs&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Guides and FAQs","link":"https:\/\/www.icons.com\/news\/category\/guides-and-faqs\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.icons.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/Lionel-Messi-Fakes-and-Frauds-Guide-1024x604.png?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.icons.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/Lionel-Messi-Fakes-and-Frauds-Guide-1024x604.png?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.icons.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/Lionel-Messi-Fakes-and-Frauds-Guide-1024x604.png?resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":38,"url":"https:\/\/www.icons.com\/news\/2015\/06\/15\/icons-becomes-worlds-largest-football-memorabilia-company\/","url_meta":{"origin":1494,"position":2},"title":"Icons Shop Limited Becomes The World&#8217;s Largest Football Memorabilia Company","author":"Icons.com","date":"June 15, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"ICONS BECOMES WORLD\u2019S LARGEST FOOTBALL MEMORABILIA COMPANY - Marka PJSC acquires a majority stake in Icons Shop Limited - Icons buys assets of A1 Sporting Memorabilia, to create world\u2019s largest football memorabilia company London \u2013 June 15, 2015 \u2013 Icons Shop Limited, the UK-based signed memorabilia company today announced that\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Announcements&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Announcements","link":"https:\/\/www.icons.com\/news\/category\/announcements\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"image (4)","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.icons.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/image-4.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":1773,"url":"https:\/\/www.icons.com\/news\/2018\/09\/20\/pioneering-blockchain-tech-in-the-fight-against-fakes\/","url_meta":{"origin":1494,"position":3},"title":"Press Release: We&#8217;re pioneering blockchain tech in the fight against fakes","author":"Icons.com","date":"September 20, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"Market leader Icons worked with digital agency\u00a0Zone to launch blockchain application Revolutionary tech will enhance consumer trust by tracking the provenance of signed items App will also be used in the fight against fakes and frauds Leo Messi signed shirts among the first items to be \u2018b-locked' London, 18 September\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Announcements&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Announcements","link":"https:\/\/www.icons.com\/news\/category\/announcements\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.icons.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/Icons-b-locked-Player-Montage-V2.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.icons.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/Icons-b-locked-Player-Montage-V2.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.icons.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/Icons-b-locked-Player-Montage-V2.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.icons.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/Icons-b-locked-Player-Montage-V2.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.icons.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/Icons-b-locked-Player-Montage-V2.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.icons.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/Icons-b-locked-Player-Montage-V2.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":2676,"url":"https:\/\/www.icons.com\/news\/2022\/04\/14\/lionel-messi-signs-again-for-icons-com\/","url_meta":{"origin":1494,"position":4},"title":"Lionel Messi Signs Again for Icons.com!","author":"Icons","date":"April 14, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"Icons.com's decade-long official relationship with Lionel Messi has paid off once again as the global superstar put pen to product in our first signing of 2022 with the Argentine maestro. 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