There is an irrefutable connection between the culture of an organization and their respective brand. The brand of any organization, athlete, entrepreneur or individual is established by 3 things:
One of my favorite quotes about branding comes from The Tronvig Group where they so accurately state how a powerful brand is both visual and behavioral. This hammers home that a brand is not just something to see and is more than a logo – it is what people experience. A large part of that experience is shaped by the people that represent your brand. How they act is driven and determined by the organizational culture. Entrepreneurs and employees alike take action, write emails, respond to customers and make decisions on a daily basis so it is prudent to mold your culture or it will mold itself, and that is a risk organizations should not take. A strong visual brand identity and accompanying advertising without a good culture underneath is like putting a Gucci suit on a felon and expecting people to like them. Lipstick on a pig, if you will. Likewise, creating a good culture and not aligning it with a cohesive brand strategy is like that awesome dance routine you nailed in your room that no one saw.
Your culture feeds and forms your brand. The brand is what customers experience and how they describe that interaction. You cannot separate your people and your brand. Successful brands tap into the unique value of their people, include them in the creation of the brand values and then activate that aligned energy into powerful experiences that resonate with their customers. The result? A better brand, a satisfied audience, a boosted bottom line.
