Developing a Strong Brand Culture
We live in a world where players become Gods, Characters become legendary and Big Brands become icons- not just of corporations, but of whole cultures. Disney, Coke, Apple, Sony, Nike are among half of the dozen brands that has symbolized a way of life. These brands have become phenomenally successful not only because of their innovative products or features but also because these properties had been translated into powerful meanings through their right mix of cultures.
Today candidates are seeking places where they can intertwine their beliefs with the culture of the organization. Just like businesses want healthy competition, humans too want to work in a healthy environment where they are heard, being valued, and are empowered to be engaged if not in decision-making.
So back in 2018, I interviewed at a start-up and at the end of the interview when I asked the founder about the culture of the organization, he paused and said we have bean bags and we guys drink together every weekend after work. And then there was an awkward silence for a few seconds. You may think that to attract or retain the demanded talent, organizations need to take extraordinary measures like providing free lunches, putting foosball tables, beer kegs in break rooms, offering free gym memberships or maybe providing perks and benefits to employees that sound great but produce little more than a generic, fun work environment. So, what does a good culture means? Why does it matter and why big organizations put more emphasis on building a unique culture that goes beyond internal aspirations?
“A hallmark of a healthy creative culture is that its people feel free to share ideas, opinions, and criticisms. Lack of candor, if unchecked, ultimately leads to dysfunctional environments.“
—Ed Catmull, President of Pixar
What is the definition of setting a good culture in an organization? An organization that embraces values like integrity and teamwork? If you’re simply aiming for a good culture then you’re setting the bar too low. If you want to differentiate your company then you need to develop a unique culture that transcends and goes beyond the employees’ attitudinal beliefs and behaviors.
Organizations that do well start from inside, they start building their brands from inside the organization and then they build their unique and desired Brand Identity. If your company culture is aligned and integrated with that identity then your employees are more likely to make decisions and take actions that deliver on your brand promise.
It takes work to make this culture-brand connection. Once you have decided on your business idea, you need to look into the Brand idea or Plan to get your identity right and to understand where your company fits in. So, understand your brand type, the strategic approach that will shape your competitive positioning to align your business promises along with the culture.
“If people believe they share values with a company, they will stay loyal to the brand.”
— Howard Schultz
Brand types classify the brands based on the storytelling character which helps in competing among the brands. For example, Apple is an innovative brand given its pursuit to disrupt the market with its new innovative and technological products. Brands can be defined by how the Brand behaves and competes in the competitive landscape given the reference point.
A Brand can be identified as a type by understanding its core values. What are the core values that define the Brand? Over time, your marketing strategy may change, your supply chain may take a different route, your best employees retire but the core values of the company should never change.
The classic storytelling classifies brands into types- Disruptive, Conscious, Service, innovative, Luxury, Style, etc. Each of the brand’s types is distinguished by two main characteristics. The first one is the point of reference— that is, the standard that your brand is positioned relative to or how you want customers to understand your brand. An innovative Brand like Nike is all about challenging the market and the leaders with consistently introducing advanced and breakthrough products and technologies. The second characteristic that distinguishes a brand type is its tone and manner, which is how the brand usually behaves or expresses itself. For example, Mercedes Benz and BMW fall into the luxury brand type and they tend to act in discriminating, refined and glamorous ways.
Brand and Core Values
Every big organization has aligned its culture with the Brand so that each time the stakeholders or the customers think about the brand, they resonate with its extraordinary culture which contributes to a strong differentiated Brand. This Brand and culture alignment creates a powerful engine of competitive advantage and growth for these organizations. Their leaders understand that a strong, differentiated company culture contributes to a strong, differentiated brand. It doesn’t matter whether your business is friendly, nurturing, competitive, or risk-taking, if your external brand and the internal culture doesn’t align to the same purpose, value and promise, you will not be able to weave them together into a single guiding force for the company.
Different types of brands are achieved through different types of cultures. If you want to position your Brand as disruptive, then you must cultivate a culture of openness, risk-taking, every employee sharing their idea to act boldly and break market conventions, etc.
So, the company’s culture, Brand type, and Core values are the essential ingredients to highlight your brand and its works as a cornerstone for your company. They reflect what’s important to your organization and, if used properly, they shape your people’s attitudes and actions. When your employees embrace this distinct Culture of your company led by the core values, you create an employee-led culture that is more focused on serving customers well and improving the brand image.
Use your core values as a starting point for drafting your own company’s culture and then operationalize it. Your company culture needs to be as distinct as your brand, and there is no culturally fit Brand alignment. Decide what is right for your company, your employees, and stakeholders and make them your champions for your Brand.