5. Discussion
In the era of constant commercialization and mainstream assimilation of the action sports industry, distinct elements (e.g., authenticity, original expressions, artifacts) of both action sports subcultures and brands have started to fade or become increasingly unrecognizable. This study sought to shed light into the complex and dynamic status of the action sports industry, primarily from a corporate management perspective, via the case study of the Board Sports Company. The paper highlighted one of the most pressing issues characterizing the action sports setting: how core brands maintain authenticity while expanding to mainstream, and, simultaneously, compete with mainstream athletic companies that may influence consumers’ perceptions of originality in the industry through portrayal of an authentic image. The aforementioned issue could be characterized as the ‘‘authenticitude’’ battle. The term authenticitude – a combination of the words authenticity and attitude – derived from one of the interviewee’s comments, where he described how he never imagined Nike would ever become a serious competitor in action sports. This brings to surface the acting of authenticity, where organizations either fake or actually render authenticity to establish their presence in the market. Ostensibly, incorporating alternative subcultural elements of action sports into marketing and branding strategies, as well as promoting an anti-establishment and no sell out image may be important precursors for success in action sports. The example with Nike signifies it is not just how brands render authenticity; most importantly, it is about how consumers perceive authenticity.
