I had a great meeting this week with a Digital Media specialist (Sera Cruickshank @Unleashingpotential).
What was exciting was the way a business culture and branding go hand in hand, when they are done correctly. But too many organisations have a disjointed Culture/Brand strategy or no strategy at all.
Look at it this way. Our Culture is our internal values, vision and the personality of your organisation. The Brand is how we present our culture to the marketplace.
So most businesses have one of two problems - they either have no internal culture set and hence their Branding activities are disjointed, off message and confusing. Or they have a culture but have not linked it to their Branding strategy and so consumers don't know what the company stands for.
It is often quite easy to see this problem from the outside looking in. Erratic, uncoordinated promotions and advertising comes from a lack of a proper Culture/Brand awareness. Equally, we've all seen the advertising where we "cringe" knowing that the actual service does not match what is being promoted through branding.
It is not a quick fix but it can be an easy fix.
It starts with the development of a sound, agreed upon Culture Profile (and often a mission statement) that truly reflects both the vision and values of the company. Often, a small business starts with the culture of the founder but this can be diluted or changed when staff are introduced to the mix. Equally, a large organisation may have a vision and values its management believes in but it is no longer reflected in the actions of its staff because of rapid business growth and an ever changing workforce and leadership team.
Internal processes like recruitment, training, performance management, leadership style and teamwork are some of the areas that will need addressing to firstly change and then cement in a new culture.
Branding can then support this (when done correctly) by reinforcing to staff the agreed culture AND targeting customers that will be attracted to the Brand (which reflects the culture).
That's great but we have to sell something and Culture and Branding don't really sell things!
How totally wrong this attitude is.
The best product or service, delivered through the best process and the best people - targeted at the correct market segment results in sales to the best customers.
Ironically, in a digital world, correct Culture and Brand are becoming more important, not less. Before technology, an unhappy client could only tell their friends. Now they can tell the world!
A potential client would ask a few friends or family for recommendations about a product or service. Now consumers have the ability to ask literally thousands of people all over the world!
Ask anyone with a young son or daughter. Instead of listening to our advice they will search and research a product, brand or person and then "test" if the information they have is consistent with the service they received. ie Did the Delivery (reflection of the culture) match the Brand (promotion of the culture). If not then one negative post going viral can end it all for your business. The digital world is unforgiving - so get your internal Culture right AND communicate it correctly (Brand) if you want to build a sustainable, successful business.
Oh and you need to review and evolve your Brand ongoingly to respond to an ever changing market - this generation changes its "choices and preferences" faster than any other generation in history.
Kim White
Partner
What was exciting was the way a business culture and branding go hand in hand, when they are done correctly. But too many organisations have a disjointed Culture/Brand strategy or no strategy at all.
Look at it this way. Our Culture is our internal values, vision and the personality of your organisation. The Brand is how we present our culture to the marketplace.
So most businesses have one of two problems - they either have no internal culture set and hence their Branding activities are disjointed, off message and confusing. Or they have a culture but have not linked it to their Branding strategy and so consumers don't know what the company stands for.
It is often quite easy to see this problem from the outside looking in. Erratic, uncoordinated promotions and advertising comes from a lack of a proper Culture/Brand awareness. Equally, we've all seen the advertising where we "cringe" knowing that the actual service does not match what is being promoted through branding.
It is not a quick fix but it can be an easy fix.
It starts with the development of a sound, agreed upon Culture Profile (and often a mission statement) that truly reflects both the vision and values of the company. Often, a small business starts with the culture of the founder but this can be diluted or changed when staff are introduced to the mix. Equally, a large organisation may have a vision and values its management believes in but it is no longer reflected in the actions of its staff because of rapid business growth and an ever changing workforce and leadership team.
Internal processes like recruitment, training, performance management, leadership style and teamwork are some of the areas that will need addressing to firstly change and then cement in a new culture.
Branding can then support this (when done correctly) by reinforcing to staff the agreed culture AND targeting customers that will be attracted to the Brand (which reflects the culture).
That's great but we have to sell something and Culture and Branding don't really sell things!
How totally wrong this attitude is.
The best product or service, delivered through the best process and the best people - targeted at the correct market segment results in sales to the best customers.
Ironically, in a digital world, correct Culture and Brand are becoming more important, not less. Before technology, an unhappy client could only tell their friends. Now they can tell the world!
A potential client would ask a few friends or family for recommendations about a product or service. Now consumers have the ability to ask literally thousands of people all over the world!
Ask anyone with a young son or daughter. Instead of listening to our advice they will search and research a product, brand or person and then "test" if the information they have is consistent with the service they received. ie Did the Delivery (reflection of the culture) match the Brand (promotion of the culture). If not then one negative post going viral can end it all for your business. The digital world is unforgiving - so get your internal Culture right AND communicate it correctly (Brand) if you want to build a sustainable, successful business.
Oh and you need to review and evolve your Brand ongoingly to respond to an ever changing market - this generation changes its "choices and preferences" faster than any other generation in history.
Kim White
Partner
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