In today’s world, passion and purpose-driven brands are changing the
dynamic of how consumers can (and want to) interact with companies in both the
physical and digital world. Driven by an inside-out, authentic desire to
improve and change the world for the better – especially when it comes to
business – these types of brands operate in a ‘we’ context and understand that
people are drawn to their vision of a better tomorrow. Passionate purpose,
trust, authenticity and vulnerability are all key aspects of developing and
maintaining this mindset.
What is your business’
purpose?
Regardless of where you are in life, the fact of the matter remains
that taking a stand and living out your unique perspective – whether through
your behavior, communication, or interactions with others – clearly takes
courage. Leaving your comfort zone of a passive, always-agreeable view, and
standing up for something you really, truly believe in may make you nervous at
first, but it is the best action you will ever take. After all, courage is not
the absence of fear, but the forward movement despite it.
When you become visible, people can feel, identify with and see you.
They’re also able to consciously choose you, and more frightening yet, reject
you. This is where our irrational fears come in. As a business leader in this
new day-in-age, it is integral to understand the necessary processes that are
needed in order to take a stand and be recognized as an influential brand. Create
engagement. Build social currency. Let it be known that it’s a given that some
people will not connect with your message. Because guess what? This is okay. No
brand, no matter how powerful it is, can ever be something that connects and
identifies with everyone. So instead,
be something that connects with, and utilizes, the core values your brand is
built off of – the people who share your unique values.
“People don't buy what you do;
they buy why you do it. And what you do simply proves what you believe.” –
Simon Sinek, the popular TED speaker and author of, Start with Why.
Where to Start
All brands (and people) are somewhere on the passion-intellect
continuum. It takes finding our most authentic, fitting position – which is a
continued growth process – to ensure we behave and communicate in alignment with
who we really are, and ultimately, where we desire to be.
The American-headquartered, Tesla, is a great example of this. On a
mission to make environmentally, sustainable, personal transportation sexy and
cool, they entered the electrical car manufacturing market with a passionate
drive and purposeful vision that disrupted the entire industry. And guess what? It worked.
Whether you are someone who wants to drive a model S or not, it is
likely you know of (or have at least heard of) the Tesla brand name.
Infusing Emotionality into a Rational
B2B Brand
The Danish conglomerate, Maersk, recently hired a new VP of
marketing – Louisa Loran – in order to integrate more emotionality into the
Maersk brand. As a rational B2B container shipping business, this decision
stands as a good example of how a business can move towards passion and expand
its brand’s personality – all with the understanding that strong, successful
brands connect with consumers on an emotional level. It also displays why embracing
the process of growth and the role that new, conscious leadership can have,
especially when working towards an integrated balance of feminine and masculine
business skills and behaviors, is important.
Purpose – What?
Not every company is born with a burning purpose, a distinct legacy
or a strong, value-led leader as its founder or CEO. You should not despair,
however – even if you’re less than comfortable connecting with your softer
side, the realms of corporate religion and the “why” behind it all. While your thinking
might be more linear, weighed and mathematical, versus being measured in
creative outbursts, doodles and emotions, there are still many ways to tap into
and take advantage of the right brain, spreadsheet, analytical way of going
about things – it exists in all of us!
What You Cannot Measure, You Cannot
Change
Take a hard look at your business, a look that turns every stone. In
2011, Jochen Zeitz, the CEO of Puma at the time, said: “What you cannot
measure, you cannot change.” As he delivered Puma’s yearly financial results,
he also stated that Puma did more than €145 million in environmental damage (water
use, land use, air pollution, waste and more). It was a bold, but calculated
approach, and the beginning of a more environmentally friendly collection:
Puma’s InCycle collection. Today Puma is showing the environmental costs in
euros on the price tags of their InCycle products, and they have already
succeeded in cutting down those costs by almost 30% – an approach that has been
widely recognized and envied by many.
Right Brain Thinking
The Danish wind energy company, Vestas, is no doubt passionate about
wind; however, it was an analytical and big data approach that led them to
their newest innovation. They looked at data surrounding what countries are
rich in wind resources, and then overlaid it with data on the countries that are
poor in financial resources. With that, Wind For Prosperity was born. In
Denmark, when more energy efficient windmills substitute earlier generations,
these earlier generation windmills are resold to poor, but wind rich, countries
that can now afford them. It’s good business for both parties. Right brain
thinking can take your brand to remarkable places and create a strong,
validated foundation.
Ready to Get Naked?
In a transparent market, brands and their emotional war on values
are moving to the background, and a market where products and services are
increasingly quantified and compared dominates the foreground. Price and
quality no longer stand alone. Instead, social, environmental, health and other
value-added factors are put into play – from the supermarket shelves to the
global stock exchanges. Consumers also know what they are looking for, and
through social media, they can quickly voice their concern. American writer
Dale Carnegie says it best when he cautions: “When dealing with people,
remember you are not dealing with creatures of logic, but creatures of emotion.”
The People’s Twitter Tribunal
Finding the balance between logic and emotions can often be very
difficult. As a company, you might have the best reasons in the world to do
what you’re doing, all of your products might be certified, you may comply with
every national law – and yet, it’s still not enough to satisfy the people’s
Twitter tribunal. In the UK, a beloved brand like Starbucks felt the heat when
it appeared that they had only reported a measly £8.6m taxable profit once in
15 years. Yes, they just did what any other multinational corporation was
doing, but the social media blade of the guillotine was raised.
Brands are Like Babies on Steroids
Screaming for Attention
Look at the supermarket shelves today. The choice of different brands
is beyond reason (how many types of toothpaste do I actually need?). The result
is a market place where every brand screams louder and louder for attention,
like a baby on steroids. It’s no wonder that more and more people are turning
their back on advertising. As a matter of fact, the majority of people in the
world wouldn't care if 73% of brands disappeared tomorrow (Havas Meaningful
Brands) – meaning all the noise isn’t accomplishing anything. In order to be a
brand that people actually care about, you need to have a message that people
want to hear.
Am I Really Lovin’ It?
“I’m lovin’ it.” That’s the catchy jingle of one of the world’s most
recognized brands, McDonald’s, and yet less people are queuing up these days.
It doesn’t seem like unconditional lovin’ anymore. At another fast-food outlet
you’re met with a different story, “Food with Integrity.” Chipotle is
challenging the highly industrialized food practices traditionally used by fast
food chains by offering convenient, healthy food, made with respect for
animals, people and the planet. Simply put, they’re walking the talk.
Be a Change-Maker or Prepare Your
Epitaph
It’s a different market place out there, meaning you cannot simply
continue with business as usual. In today’s world, it’s not enough to be
ridiculous for the sake of getting a couple laughs – you have to do things that
earn people’s lovin’. You have to
navigate and be comfortable walking on the passion-intellect, walk-the-talk
continuum. It’s about taking a fresh look at the world around us and seeing how
you and your brand can play your part. There’s no higher accomplishment for
brands than to make a real difference in people’s lives. As the great scientist,
Albert Einstein, once said, “Logic will get you from A to B. Imagination will
take you everywhere.”
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Thomas Kolster
Thomas
Kolster is an international expert in sustainable communication. He’s the
author of one of the most comprehensive books about the topic: “Goodvertising”.
As the Director of the Goodvertising Agency, he’s helping companies understand
this new reality. Last year Thomas founded WhereGoodGrows; the world’s first
best-practice sharing platform for sustainable initiatives. He’s an experienced
keynote speaker featured at events such as SXSW & Sustainable Brands, a
columnist for the Guardian and several other publications and a regular judge
at international awards. The Huffington Post recently dubbed him “Inspirational
Leader”. He’s currently sitting at the board of two non-profit organisations.
Sandja Brügmann
International expert in sustainable
communication and conscious leadership, Refresh AgencyRefresh Agency – Boulder, CO,
USA and Copenhagen, Denmark.
Sandja
Brügmann is a successful entrepreneur, international speaker and intuitive
communications & marketing expert with a passion for Authentic Leadership.
Sandja mentors visionary business leaders and entrepreneurs around the world
helping people manifest a passion-filled and purpose-based business and life.
She has worked with the global business community to create sustainable &
social-good change for the past 15 years. https://www.linkedin.com/in/sandja
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