Reading Time: 4 minutesMuch of the prevailing discourse suggests a brand’s culture happens as the sum result of how people choose to collectively behave. That sounds somewhat haphazard. A principled culture is about grounding those dynamics so they are much more intentional. While everyone agrees that key indicators act as measures of cultural change and the means to […]
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Perspectives
How to decide if you need a brand strategy
Reading Time: 3 minutesYou have a brand, whether you realise it or not. It may not be the brand you want, or even the one you thought you were – but it is a brand, nevertheless. It represents how you are understood by the market, buyers and your own people. To consciously change or build that understanding, you’ll […]
What does it take to be a brand storyteller?
Reading Time: 4 minutes“Storytelling” is the new panacea. But when every brand has a story, and many of the stories are interchangeable, none of those stories matter. It takes more than that to be a brand storyteller. Being articulate as a brand is actually an artful science. Say too little and you risk being talked-over and seen-past. But […]
Stepping up to a Principled Culture
Reading Time: 4 minutesCulture change models, in our view, are best achieved by the right mix of emotions, intent and order. Emotions, because they are such powerful motivators for change. Intent, because everyone wants to know where they’re going. And order, because structure brings surety. Stepping up to a Principled Culture is no exception. Fit is the f […]
8 things your brand strategy framework should address
Reading Time: 4 minutesThe goal of a robust brand strategy framework is to bridge now and an agreed point or points in the future. Without this reference it is too easy to get distracted and sidetracked. Without a clear brand strategy, there is also no roadmap for cultural alignment, for long-term storytelling, for investment and for divestment. Your […]
Long Arc is our brand storytelling workshop
Reading Time: 8 minutesAt any given point in time, you are somewhere in the story of your brand. You may be starting out or on the cusp of huge change. Your brand may be continuing something you started years ago. There may be plenty to share right now. Or plenty to come in due course. Our brand storytelling […]
Should your brand commit to a deliberate strategy?
Reading Time: 10 minutesA deliberate strategy is one that locks your brand into an approach for the foreseeable future based on clear data and harnessing the resources of the organisation to make that happen. It is a highly intentional strategy – motivating people to come together and work, in harmony, to accomplish defined goals. But is it the […]
Refreshing your brand promise
Reading Time: 6 minutesIf you need to change how you are seen in the market, refreshing your brand promise (and committing to what it now requires) could be a powerful and effective solution. It’s tempting to believe that great products will sell themselves. Or even that having a great product is enough. Producers and entrepreneurs sometimes believe their […]
Know thy brand enemy
Reading Time: 7 minutesIt’s healthy to adopt a brand enemy. Handled well, having such an adversary works for your customers and your culture. Brand enemies are a powerful source of motivation and focus. It’s human nature to be united by the things we have in common and those we want to see change. But choose your enemy carefully […]
Strategic goal setting, water and bicycles
Reading Time: 4 minutesHere’s a salutary little tale about strategic goal setting. It’s no news that there is a global water crisis and that large corporations, which consume 40% of all the water used in the developed world, have an important role to play in being part of the solution. Which brings us to the dichotomy. On the […]
Taking the time to build a sustainable brand
Reading Time: 10 minutesOn the face of it, building a sustainable brand looks relatively straight-forward. After all many brands already claim to be doing this. That’s both good news – and misleading. Taking the time to build a sustainable brand requires patience, focus and an ability to rethink priorities. It’s inspiring to see brands addressing their environmental impact, […]
Why linking strategy, culture and stories matters
Reading Time: 5 minutesIt’s tempting to ignore linking strategy, culture and stories. After all they seem like different things, and address different aspects of bringing a brand to life. At first glance, strategy focuses on where the business needs to get to. Culture talks to how you bring out the best in people. Stories are how audiences receive […]