As we did in Evolve Your Brand Culture: Part 1 – Your History, we start off by comparing your brand as a country.
Think of your brand as a nation, and then ask yourself: what is our unifying ideology?
Your brand’s ethos and belief system will be derived from the strategy and is based around your purpose, vision and values. Together, these aspects of the brand strategy will shape a set of principles that give deeper meaning to your brand.
For your competitors, products and services are easy to mimic, but personality and ethics are difficult to fake. An ethical stance can define your brand and it can give you a significant competitive advantage.
Corporate social responsibility (CSR) is the conscience of commerce and has become the ‘must-have’ policy for most large organizations. Even smaller businesses can reap the benefits of ethical business practices and help those who are less fortunate. A strong ethos can connect everyone within a company to a common goal – and this connection often overflows and reaches your clients.
Brands who practice a strong ethos are more likely to develop an ongoing relationship with consumers who share the same concerns. Strong principles and integrity go hand-in-hand and consumers are predisposed to trust a brand that maintains a consistent stance.
An example of a consistent and relevant stance would be a company who’s in the fishing industry, that actively campaigns for cleaner oceans and the protection thereof. But, be sure your brand and employees all live by this ethos – sincerity is key.
Considerations for developing your brand ethos
Many brands do not have a consistent ethos because they struggle to define it – here are some topics to consider:
– Raison d’être
The “reason for being” that makes your brand the answer to someone’s needs. Tap into the needs of your customers and turn it into a cause.
– Esprit de corps – Group spirit
An ethos can inspire and attract like-minded people who feel that the brand is sympathetic to an aspect of their own personality.
This deep feeling of acknowledgement leads to customer loyalty.
– Purpose, vision and values
These crucial elements of the brand strategy are the beating heart of the brand. They are the basis of the faith system and they deliver the brand ethos.
If you are ready to revisit your brand culture and need help on defining your ethos, get in touch with Digital Drawing Room and let’s discuss how we can help you
Drop us a mail at hello@design.digital-hq.com
Comments are closed.