Abstract: Change of brands with the process of globalization and modernization and increase of brand dishonesty in the market lead to consumers increasingly demand for brand tradition and trustworthiness. In this case, deep understanding and effective shaping of brand authenticity cause more and more attention from the academia, companies and consumers. However, the meaning of brand authenticity is complex, because consumers could see a brand in a variety of perspectives and they have different motivations for authenticity. Therefore, we proposed a three-level framework to understand the nature of brand authenticity, namely the product originality at the product level, the value reliability at the brand value level, and the relationship sincerity at the brand-consumer relationship level. Besides, we also analyzed the possible influencing factors and psychological mechanisms for each level. In this article, we tried to build an integrated framework of brand authenticity perception, to contribute to future researches of brand authenticity and provide some advice for company in practice.

Key words: brand authenticity; product originality; value reliability; relationship sincerity