Reality on the pitch and in the market: Why 'real' is everywhere (from Madrid to your smartphone)

Last weekend, I sat down with a cup of coffee to watch the La Liga highlights and couldn't believe my eyes. Real Madrid CF, the kings of Europe, seemed to have completely lost the plot. Not only did they drop points in the title race, but the chaos with two red cards in the final stages reminded me of a run-of-the-mill local derby. Álvaro Arbeloa, the former defender now coaching the youth teams, pointed angrily at the referee. "He decided the match," he grumbled. But if you looked closely, you saw the problem runs deeper. The young Franco Mastantuono having to leave the pitch with a red card – it was symptomatic of a team unwilling to face reality: injuries, dips in form, and a lack of sharpness. Real Madrid is no longer that invincible machine; it's a team struggling with the harsh reality of today's top-flight football.

Yet, this is only one side of the story. Because the word 'real' is popping up everywhere these days, in completely different worlds. And that's no coincidence. It says something about our longing for authenticity, for things that aren't polished or fake.

From Betis to Realme: the two faces of the same coin

Let's stay in Spain for a moment longer. There, in the shadow of the giant, we see a club like Real Betis from Seville. That team has been having stable seasons for years without any fuss, with a clear vision and a tight-knit group. They accept their reality and get the most out of it. Where Real Madrid sometimes tries to ignore reality, Betis embraces it. And it pays off: they're once again competing for European football. A beautiful contrast.

You see the same dichotomy in the tech world. Take the Chinese brand Realme. In the Netherlands, they've grown rapidly in recent years, not by pretending to be Apple, but by promising the opposite: no empty hype, just good phones for a realistic price. They target a young, no-nonsense audience that's had enough of devices costing €1200. Realme taps into the need for honest, 'real' products. And it works.

The philosophy of real life and the reality series

Then there's Realism. That 19th-century philosophical movement is suddenly alive and kicking again. In an age of filters, AI-generated images, and perfectly staged Instagram posts, the hunger for the authentic is growing. For the raw, the unpolished. That hunger is fed by a genre we sometimes dismiss, but which is immensely popular: the Reality series. From 'Expeditie Robinson' to 'Married at First Sight' – we watch in droves. Why? Because, despite all the direction, we hope for a glimpse of realness. A tear, an argument, an unexpected twist that wasn't in the script.

This urge for reality is palpable everywhere. It's as if we're collectively shouting: enough with the facade. Show me real life, with all its imperfections.

What does this mean for brands and marketers?

For companies, there's a goldmine of insights here. Today's consumer – and certainly the Dutch one, with their no-nonsense attitude – sees right through fakery. We don't want smooth talk, we want transparency. Whether it's about:

• A football club admitting things aren't going well for a while (instead of pointing at the referee).
• A phone brand that simply delivers good specs for a fair price (Realme).
• A TV programme that embraces the imperfection of life (Reality series).
• A philosophy that teaches us to look at what *is* there (Realism).

The reward for those who embrace this authenticity is immense: loyalty, trust, and a strong bond with your audience. In a world that's becoming increasingly artificial, 'real' is the new luxury. The brands that understand this, and dare to show who they really are, will be the winners. Whether they're on the football pitch or on the shelves at Mediamarkt.