Brand Strategy is a tool that you can apply throughout your business, in all your actions, processes and communications. That’s why we urge entrepreneurs to start developing their Brand Strategy before they create a logo and a website, before they set up their office, and before they do most of their hiring. Brand Strategy is fundamental to Company Culture, and Company Culture is a vital component to keeping team members on the same page, professionally and philosophically.
Like civil culture, Company Culture refers to our way of life, our norms and customs, like a set of beliefs that holds us together and guides our actions and decisions. Without culture, the right hand doesn’t know what the left is doing, and every policy choice is just another dart thrown in the dark. Effective culture holds the team together, with a shared purpose and a common vision, so everyone knows where they’re headed and why.
Brand Essence
When most people think about branding, they think we’re talking about a few visual elements, like your logo and the fonts and colors that go into your ads and website. But these are merely the visual expressions of your brand. And before you develop these visual features, you need to start by defining your foundation, what we call the Brand Essence.
At the root of everything your business does, Brand Essence acts like your company’s philosophical compass. Apart from the financial motives that drive every business to make money and maintain a positive cash flow, you need a purpose to guide your actions and decisions and to inspire your clients and team members.
Like Simon Sinek says, we like to start with why. As humans, it’s basically what separates us from the rest of the animal kingdom, that need for meaning and purpose. It’s what drives us to embark on projects, and what energizes others to join us in those projects.
The four pillars of Brand Essence include:
- Purpose: Why we do what we do. If we don’t have a reason for our business besides making money, it will be very difficult to earn loyal customers or find dedicated employees.
- Vision: Where we see ourselves, our community, and our industry, 5-10 years in the future. A shared vision brings people together and adds meaning to the small, daily tasks.
- Mission: This is the roadmap of day-to-day commitments and responsibilities, to show us how we will reach our vision.
- Values: Knowing what’s important to us, we know how to behave in our daily actions, not so much what we do, but how we do it, and how we treat each other. Shared values give team members a sense of camaraderie with like-minded colleagues.
Internal and External Statements
One of the biggest misconceptions we encounter, when it comes to these pillars of Brand Essence, is how business owners expect to use them. People think of Mission Statements and Vision Statements as catchy slogans to post on their websites, share on social media, and generate a warm fuzzy feeling.
Sure, those are good intentions. And who doesn’t want to feel warm and fuzzy? But before sharing those statements externally, it’s critical to convey those messages internally.
In other words, before you try to explain your purpose and vision to the general public, you need to make sure that everyone on the team, from the CEO to the janitor, understands the company philosophy.
Therefore, it’s not necessary to make the statements short and catchy. What’s necessary is to make them crystal clear, so that everyone can understand them. To accomplish that, each of those statements is usually more like a paragraph than just a sound byte.
Once you’ve laid the foundation, every team member should feel like they’re part of something meaningful. They have a little more reason to take pride in their work, knowing they’re doing something more than just lining the pockets of their boss until a new boss comes along and makes them a better offer.
In fact, studies on company culture indicate that more than 75% of job seekers will examine the culture, mission and purpose of a business before applying. And the majority of adults consider company culture to be an even more important factor than their salary. That’s how important this internal messaging is.
Communication and Cooperation
Absolutely, communicating your goals and values to the rest of the team is essential. But the other 50 percent of communicating is called listening. You can proclaim your company culture from the top down, but to really make it hold fast and functional well, you need an open dialogue that allows things to develop from the bottom up. This ensures authenticity in the company culture.
Employees and team members aren’t simply subjects to direct about. They are active participants, collaborators, and co-creators. And believe it or not, a lot of people actually know how to do their jobs pretty well. So when they have an idea about how to improve their work process, they should feel encouraged to share that idea.
As the feedback loops run their course, each member is able to share his or her ideas about what’s working, what’s not, and how the company culture is or isn’t bringing out the best in each player. With that data on the table, you can analyze and refine your methods and processes. No matter what line of business you’re in, everyone appreciates a meaningful dialogue and a chance for improvement.
External Expression
After you’ve spent so much time and energy crafting your Purpose Statement, Mission Statement, and so on, you’re no doubt eager to share them somewhere. Indeed, these defining statements should be a point of pride in the business. In fact, if you’re not eager to share them, you might have a more serious problem on your hands.
Now it’s time to distinguish between your internal and external statements. As we already talked about, the internal statements need to make the goals and values of the company clear for every employee and new hire. They’re especially useful when it comes time to hire new staff so that everyone knows what they’re getting into and what they’re working towards.
If you want to post these statements online, you may want to distill them down to something punchy and sharable. Now is the time for brevity and eloquence. But regardless of how you explain yourself, the truest expression of your company’s philosophy comes across in your actions.
Take pride in the purpose you declare on your website, but know that the real message is delivered by you and your team members in your ongoing tasks and behaviors. That’s how company culture presents itself to the public. And there’s nothing more persuasive than a unified team, with a common culture, who genuinely believe in what they do.
Ultimately, that’s how company culture makes happier employees, more satisfied customers, and a more profitable business.
Live the life you love
I hope you enjoyed this quick breakdown of Company Culture. Now think about what you stand for, why you do what you do, and where you’re trying to go. Then ask yourself why anyone else would want to participate in those goals and dreams.
To learn more about Brand Strategy and how we can help your business stand out in a crowded marketplace, check out some of these links.
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