Strategy & Brand

How do you feel about a company’s “core values”? I went to a conference 1/11/11 and the speakers talked about establishing 3 or 4 “core values” for your company/brand that will never change. They say this is the guiding post for everything they do as a company. I would love your thoughts on this.

I know that values are critical to defining the purpose of any organization. This question was most adequately answered in Collins and Porras* 1996 seminal work “Building Your Company’s Vision” .(1)

*This endorsement does not extend to the dynamic duos “Good to Great” shallow contribution. I appreciate that it was a breakaway hit…but so were beanie babies. Proving that we all have lapses in judgment.

In defining the strategic vision of a company Collins and Porras identify and pair two tenets that combined inform the organization’s “core ideology”:

1.) “Core Purpose”: the organization’s reason for being that compels people to join and carry out the work of the organization.

2.) “Core Values”: a “small set of timeless guiding principles” (3-4) that “require no external justification because “they have intrinsic value and importance to those inside the organization”.

Collins and Porras write:

“You do not create or set core ideology. You discover core ideology. You do not deduce it by looking at the external environment. You understand it by looking inside. Ideology has to be authentic. You cannot fake it. Discovering core ideology is not an intellectual exercise. Do not ask ‘What core values should we hold?’. Ask instead ‘What core values do we truly and passionately hold?’. You should not confuse values that you think the organization ought to have-but does not-with authentic core values. To do so would create cynicism throughout the organization. The role of core ideology is to guide and inspire, not to differentiate.”

“The authenticity, the discipline, and the consistency with which the ideology is lived-not the content of the ideology differentiates visionary companies from the rest of the pack.”

“Finally, don’t confuse core ideology with the concept of core competence. Core competence is a strategic concept that defines your organization’s capabilities-what you are particularly good at-whereas core ideology captures what you stand for and why you exist. Core competencies should be well aligned with a company’s core ideology and are often rooted in it; but they are not the same thing. For example, Sony has a core competence of miniaturization-a strength that can be strategically applied to a wide array of products and markets. But it does not have a core ideology of miniaturization. Sony might not even have miniaturization as part of its strategy in 100 years, but to remain a great company, it will still have the same core values described in the Sony Pioneer Spirit and the same fundamental reason for being-namely, to advance technology for the benefit of the general public. In a visionary company like Sony, core competencies change over the decades, whereas core ideology does not.”

“Once you are clear about the core ideology, you should feel free to change absolutely anything that is not part of it. From then on, whenever someone says something should not change because “it’s part of our culture” or “we’ve always done it that way” or any such excuse, mention this simple rule: If it’s not core, it’s up for change. The strong version of the rule is, if it’s not core, change it! Articulating core ideology is just a starting point, however. You also must determine what type of progress you want to stimulate.”

“Truly great companies understand the difference between what should never change and what should be open for change, between what is genuinely sacred and what is not. This rare ability to manage continuity and change – requiring a consciously practiced discipline – is closely linked to the ability to develop a vision. Vision provides guidance about what core to preserve and what future to stimulate progress toward.”

Collins and Porras go on to define a number of other influences that should inform and clarify a strategic vision indicating that values are just one consideration in the collective mix. In other words…nothing is simple and there is “no one” ideology, value, practice, market, trend, or competency that will align and direct a visionary and dynamic company forward.

(1) James C. Collins, Jerry I. Porras, Building Your Company’s Vision, Harvard Business Review 1996.

Urban renewal gained a justifiably notorious connotation following World War II. For more than 70 years countries followed architectural, city planning and governmental policies that were based on the ideas of a few and the will of even fewer .   In putting commerce ahead of community we built places that ignored how people interacted. Now we collectively face stagnant brownfield sites, cultural commercialization, unsustainable industrial development, hollow urban centers and significant damage to our natural resources.

As we reconfigure the places where we live, as we strive to bring the suburbs and urban core into alignment, we can not ignore anthropological necessities nor forget historical lessons of the past.  People want to connect, people want to interact, people need community.  In this century, we will face significant challenges stemming from population growth and breakneck development in many developed nations and a growing list of last century’s developing countries.  To survive we must seek balance between the common good and commerce.  To thrive we must incorporate lessons learned with thoughtful design, focused on our human existence.

Here’s the funny thing- we had it more right than not before the era of “modernist” urban planning (circa 1920 – 1970).  Cities with strong growth at the turn of the last century featured many of the features and concepts that are so necessary for our future.  Greenspace, mixed use neighborhoods, entrepreneurial populations, and more. Which today must be coupled with multi-disciplinary approaches including design and project  -based thinking, sustainable alignment of suburban and urban considerations and grassroots, community lead involvement.

Today, many of these citiesthat served as the bedrock on which we grew  are considered also-rans or, even worse, dead. Yet they serve as both yesterday’s lesson and tomorrow’s classroom and some will find the will to emerge as leaders in authentic city planning and revitalization. We must learn from our past, both good and bad, to ensure our future.

Make art- not advertising. Whether it’s a two page spread in a print publication or a vertical banner on a website, at BlackDog, we believe if the ad you’re placing isn’t as interesting, attractive, and useful to readers as the content it’s sandwiched between, you’ve missed the Big Idea. 
Promotions that are irrelevant or out of sync, campaigns that are boring, interstitial ads (the frustrating ads that hijack your attention by forcing you to watch an ad before a page will load), floating ads (the in-your-face ads that float across your screen to block the page and raise your blood pressure), ads that blink, pop-ups, and awareness initiatives that annoy your viewer all impact the way your brand is perceived and experienced.

Allowing these lackluster intrusions degrades the visitor’s experience, cheapens your brand image, devalues your ad space by diminishing your advertisers’ return on investment, and leaves your  viewers feeling as though (by tolerating all of the unwanted messaging they’ve been subjected to in exchange for the content provided) they’ve already paid for their subscription.

Here are a few characteristics of a good advertisement:
-A good ad is art- it is crafted, it utilizes design principles, it has meaning, it has relevance. The ultimate compliment a print ad can receive isn’t a marketing award- it’s when a reader carefully tears the ad out so they can keep it somewhere more visible (on their fridge, in a frame, etc.).

-A good ad is bold- it captures a viewer’s attention. Bland ads rob readers and visitors by taking up space that should have been allotted to more appealing content. Leave your ski mask and slim jim at home and give us ads worth looking at.

-A good ad is a mutually beneficial exchange for advertiser and viewer- it provides information that the reader actually wants, which, in turn, significantly increases the return on investment for the advertiser.

View the 2010 Threats to Girlhood Report

Threats to Girlhood include all of the issues, mindsets, factors, trends, and circumstances that impact girls’ lifelong health, wellness, happiness, and ability to succeed. Identifying current Threats to Girlhood is an important step towards advancing the well being of girls, the possibilities for women, and the strength of communities.  The 2010 Threats to Girlhood report issued by BlackDog’s foundation Serious Play for Serious Girls provides a collective view detailing the breadth and depth of the challenges that girls face.  Good brands will use this report to guard against inflicting these challenges developed as an outcome of their actions.
Emerging research on the state of girlhood highlights the interconnection of girlhood threats. Education and poverty, body image issues and advertising, sexual abuse and self-harm, conformism and commercialism; the issues threatening our girls aren’t isolated and unrelated.  Radically reducing Threats to Girlhood will require that we, collectively, work to improve all the interconnected causes along the way, not just the side effects.

No one single parent, politician, celebrity role model, company, organization, product, publication, or advertisement is solely responsible for the development of girlhood threats. We are all, however, responsible for the ways in which we contribute to these threats or fail to contribute to their solution. Radically reducing Threats to Girlhood requires a holistic solution: an out-of-the-box and into-the-hands-of decision-makers solution that takes the whole girl, the world she lives in, and the interconnection of the threats facing her, all into account.

This report is certainly not exhaustive, but we hope it will help show the scope of the problem and the urgent need for a new perspective. Because Threats to Girlhood are continually changing, shifting, and evolving, this is an ongoing project intended to continue addressing threats and working towards solutions.

We believe that research shouldn’t be remanded to vaults and scholarly journals, so if your research helps identify a Threat to Girlhood or a solution to a girlhood threat, we hope you’ll pass it along for possible inclusion in the report. Please send your stats, facts, and insights on girlhood threats, along with a copy of the published research or report in which the insights appear, to us for review.

I can’t tell if what I am seeing is a gross over simplification or just a lackluster attempt to ‘spin’ a brand, get on with the show or turn a buck.

What I do know is that the inherent power of brand to tell a vibrant story, capture the essence of a working people and articulate a higher purpose is being reduced to cryptic taglines, vague images, and meaningless stories.

 Authentic brand relevance isn’t cheap or easy; it can’t be bought, prescribed or faked. Authentic brand relevance is an earned honor of distinction bestowed upon companies that are grounded in a philosophy of being, know their purpose, make connections, and relate a perspective that speaks to and engages people.
 
Authentic brands advance thought-leadership, part from the herd, take the high road, keep it fresh, and offer meaningful solutions in the marketplace and to the world.
 
Authentic brands are a holistic, matchless advantage, enlivened by people with the power to restore a lost sense of humanity and balance to business.
 
This is about the time that I find myself in the awkward position of assuming the role of brands overprotective and perturbed Jewish mother.When resources are tight and competition real why are organizations announcing re-branding efforts that amount to nothing more than an altered juxtaposition of their logo in a fresh splash of color with a quippy tag-line chaser? A risky practice in that it seems to attract considerable word of mouth only when the effort is considered a dismal flop, otherwise it appears to go unnoticed. A logo cannot possibly capture the story or accurately represent the collective ambitions, effort, ethics, synergy and attitudes of any people working to solve problems and achieve goals in fierce times. I’m riled when brand is repeatedly diminished to a visual interpretation when there is real work to be done. I’m incensed that any working community of people would be reduced to a meaningless or superficial level of perception. Genuine influence will cost more than cheap tricks and idle dribble.

All children’s brands should be guided by an internalized dictum to “first, do no harm” that aligns organizational purpose, business strategy, brand management, and the optimal development of children. This sworn commitment requires a guiding philosophy that holds collective ability and judgment accountable, demands respect for scientific discovery, and vows to regard the holistic well being of children and childhood above all other competing concerns. It also requires an adopted practice of responsibility and professionalism dedicated to promoting the highest standards and respect for each developmental stage and phase, guarding the season of childhood.

Children need inspired playthings to help them tackle real world issues. Brands are either meeting the demand with constructive tools, placating children with shallow entertainment, or are selling out by buying into the notion that what they produce, promote, and contribute is inconsequential to the cultural realities of our day. If companies don’t begin adopting actionable, responsible standards rooted in high ideals, transparency, health, and holistic wellbeing, the industry will become subject to restrictive legislation.

There is no shortage of threats to childhood: cultural challenges to combat, stigmas and stereotypes to overcome, and chaos to decode. What is sparse, are companies that guard the season of childhood, regard their contribution as a vocation, and that champion the role and opportunity to proactively influence the healthy real life needs of impressionable young people.

Brands don’t exist in vacuums- they impact, influence, and shape our global ecology.

The philosophy and relevance behind brand development has proven to have utility across a wide and diverse range of interests. Brands distinguish organizations, churches, teams, industries, destinations, associations, events, museums, causes, institutions, politics, clusters, professions, movements, buildings, and the arts, one from another, when services offered don’t.
It should come as no surprise that the utilities sector – electric, water, and fuel are  utilizing the power of brand to humanize the service, build trust, attract employees, educate consumers, establish value, reveal what has been perceived as hidden, and  define a new engagement with consumers. Utility Companies must embrace brand or risk ceding their long established position to competitors or alternative solutions.

A utility brand is not a new method of spin, a mere communications roll-out, or another dangling carrot incentives program. A brand is a competitive advantage that defines, differentiates and strategically aligns and positions the utility to clarify credibility, reliability and value in a meaningful and powerful demonstration, one corporate decision, and one customer touch point at a time. The utility brand does not live in the marketing department but rather serves as a strategic infrastructure throughout the organization, guiding all C-level, departmental, operational, and customer service judgments, consistently delivering the promised purpose and values. A dynamic utility brand is only as powerful as it is accountable to deliver.   

Thriving brands focus on innovating solutions and connections that attest to their significant relevance and sincere commitment.  A non-traditional pilot program in Canada provoked awareness and engaged consumers by allowing energy users to fit their consumption to peak and non-peak times.  In the end, customers were empowered to shift their patterns of consumption, impacting their carbon footprint, benefiting the utility, and reducing consumer costs. This win-win approach spurred 78 percent of the consumers to vote the pilot program into stable existence, less than 20 percent wanted to revert back to the traditional pricing plan.1

When was the last time that you aligned your decision making values with the shared concerns and interests of your customers for mutual utility?

1 Ontario Energy Board Smart Price Pilot “Backgrounder: Ontario Energy Board Smart
Price Pilot.” Ontario Energy Board. July 26,2007.

Brand is more than just “looking good”.  An authentic brand requires doing good.

Just putting a pink ribbon on your product doesn’t make you socially responsible. “Certified Organic,” “Carbon Neutral,” and “No Trans Fats” claims on your packaging won’t achieve it either. A brand isn’t socially responsible unless they are consciously and meticulously concerned with their impact on society. While the vast majority of companies think of social responsibility in terms of green initiatives and charitable donations, true social responsibility is a guiding philosophy that runs far deeper than individual programs, outreaches, or financial sponsorship.

Before a company adds a social responsibility page to their website or boasts about their community and environmental initiatives, they should ask themselves several questions: what is society? Why does it matter? On what does society depend? How is our company, as a whole, contributing to society? How are our products, strategic partners, affiliates, retailers, and third party service providers contributing to society? How are we detracting from it?  And, in which areas are we likely to effect societal trends and evolutions, for better and for worse, intended and not? Neglecting to understand, predict, consider, and moderate your social impact is socially irresponsible, even if you help fund a great cause.

If companies don’t abide by voluntary and mannerly rules of conduct and responsibility, stricter legislation will be required to uphold societal values. In her book “Why Manners Matter: The Case for Civilized Behavior in a Barbarous World,” Australian speechwriter turned noteworthy social philosopher, Lucinda Holdforth, suggests that the stability of modern society may actually depend more on manners than it does on legislation, transportation, or the Dow Jones Industrial Average. Every working element of society depends on manners. “Manners,” she explains, “are both evidence of a functioning society and an important means of upholding that society. Manners provide a form of social self-limitation, a means by which citizens signal their willingness to live together and abide by common standards…. Destroy manners- sweep aside all of a society’s habits, conventions and patterns of behavior- and you may well find that you have nothing left but chaos. And because human beings cannot live for long in a state of anarchy, sooner or later some form of oppressive authority will step in to restore order on a new, more punitive premises” (1).  

1.Lucinda Holdforth. Why Manners Matter: The Case for Civilized behavior in a Barbarous World. Amy Einhorn Books, 2009. P. 25-6.

Professional associations are a critical component in the US business ecology.  The ASAE Center for Association Leadership reports that: 

• There are 147,000 incorporated associations in the US
• 1,000 new associations are being formed each year
• 9 out of 10 US adults belong to one association
• 1 out 4 US adults belong to four or more associations

 Historically Professional Associations have proactively advanced the interest of professionals while establishing codes of governance that protect the public interest as well as the respective practice. Professional Associations have contributed significantly to ongoing research by harnessing the insights of members, forecasting industry trends, improving the quality of standards and practices, advocating knowledge sharing, and creating access to education locally and globally. Professional Associations establish ethical guidelines, resolve practice issues as they arise, provide mentors and provoke thought leadership. What’s more interesting and relevant is that Professional Associations act as the primary source for ongoing professional development beyond college in the US. (95% of Professional Associations support on-going education opportunities, certificate trainings, internships and mentorships).

Critical Challenge: Not all Professional Associations are created equal.

Guilty by association? Professional Associations appear to make the same promises, offer like perks in the same stuffy style on copycat websites. Professional Associations compete for limited members with limited time…and yet few organizations stand for a distinctive purpose or stand apart with a compelling perspective that connects with members and distinguishes one organization above another. Few Professional Associations have revealed the “big idea” that expresses the association’s reason for existence; the relevance, history, purpose, passion, integrity, advocacy, significance, social capital and successes in a compelling and meaningful brand story. Professional Associations that don’t want to be confused for ordinary must explicitly define or re-define their relevance, breaking from the herd to be heard.

Authentic and relevant Professional Association brands are memorable; they are differentiated by thought leadership, synergy, credibility, ingenuity, diversity, style, philosophy, design, sustainability…  when the list of distinctions is endless, the membership is boundless! 

Emotions- we don’t believe that “emotion” can or should be woven into every brand story in the hopes of “snagging” more customers.

We don’t believe that “emotions” should be, nor do we believe that they can be exploited at brand will. We don’t believe that an emotional connection to a brand will prove to be so compelling that it bypasses reason and suspends logic.

We do believe that a well-developed brand narrative should represent a dimensional, authentic, relevant and meaningful story that positions the brand to be noticed, understood and wanted.

We do believe that people and markets want products, services and brands that they identify with, relate to and see themselves as… accurate or not.

We do believe that if you are successful in creating meaningful connections, you won’t have to “manipulate” customers using evocative methods or messages.

We do believe there are causes, cohorts, events and a few, rare and exceptional organizations that have such a powerful brand story as to evoke a connection; call us to action; or put us in touch with a remembrance, a feeling, a sense of duty, a dream.

Powerful responses are enlivened when the authentic story is excavated to reveal a compelling brand that connects to a place deep, visceral and real within us.