# title
Creating innovation that drives authenticity

# abstract
<jats:sec> <jats:title content-type="abstract-subheading">Purpose</jats:title> <jats:p>The purpose of this paper is to explore the relationship between innovation and authenticity by developing a conceptual framework that illuminates the key constructs.</jats:p> </jats:sec> <jats:sec> <jats:title content-type="abstract-subheading">Design/methodology/approach</jats:title> <jats:p>The paper adopts a common perspective  the customer  for both innovation and authenticity. A conceptual framework identifying the roles of centrality and distinctiveness in the innovationauthenticity relationship is developed and justified based upon prior research regarding brand extensions and authenticity.</jats:p> </jats:sec> <jats:sec> <jats:title content-type="abstract-subheading">Findings</jats:title> <jats:p>The innovationauthenticity relationship can be visualized and managed using two constructs: centrality and distinctiveness. Centrality is proposed to have a positive relationship, whereas distinctiveness is proposed to have a non-linear (inverted-U) relationship.</jats:p> </jats:sec> <jats:sec> <jats:title content-type="abstract-subheading">Originality/value</jats:title> <jats:p>The paper contributes a new conceptualization of the innovationauthenticityloyalty relationship. It applies CD Mapping in a completely new way to provide managerially relevant visualization of customers perceptions of a new innovation <jats:italic>vis--vis</jats:italic> the parent brand to guide strategic decision making. The paper also suggests areas for further research to improve our understanding of successful innovationauthenticity alignment.</jats:p> </jats:sec>

# authors[].organizations[].label
College of Agriculture and Life Sciences

# authors[].organizations[].label
Hospitality, Hotel Management and Tourism

# authorList[]
Keiningham, T. L., He, Z., Hillebrand, B., Jang, J., Suess, C., & Wu, L.