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Meaningful Brands

3 Drivers For A Meaningful Workplace Conversation

August 21, 2012 —

3 Drivers For A Meaningful Workplace Conversation

In our published paper, “How to Talk to Employees in Turbulent Times”, we encourage CEOs to establish a new dialog with their employees and offer key drivers to have a meaningful workplace conversation. The recent economic climate has been enough to unsettle any employee. Even if they are working for an apparently stable and growing company, employees are nonetheless influenced by the world around them. They are naturally concerned about what effect the turbulent environment will eventually have on their lives. In the past, it has been normal for CEOs to issue high-level reports...
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Survey Shows CMOs Starting to Recognize the Need to Matter

July 2, 2012 —

Survey Shows CMOs Starting to Recognize the Need to Matter

IBM regularly surveys CMOs to identify trends. A recent Forbes blog post by consultant Avi Dan reports an interesting finding from the latest survey. The traditional marketing funnel is now a series of loops, as people turn to the many new options for learning about, and being influenced about, a product or service selection. In this environment, purchase decision making changes dramatically. More and more factors are considered, and more and more of them become “deal breakers”. Today, the final cut will come down to the businesses, products, services and brands that have good...
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A More “Valued” Value Proposition for your Business

June 2, 2012 —

A More “Valued” Value Proposition for your Business

The traditional value proposition is defined as: Value = Benefits – Cost. In other words, people buy from brands that deliver more for less. In the past, when the focus has been on “faster, cheaper, bigger, now”, it was enough to think only about the rational benefits your brand offered – and to build your value proposition from there. Today there is a need to radically overhaul the definition of “benefits” when articulating value propositions. Today people are seeking ways to create new meaning in their lives, brands need to go beyond rational appeals and...
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Meaningful Brands evoke “Of Course” Moments

June 2, 2012 —

Meaningful Brands evoke “Of Course” Moments

Meaningful brands make people feel good. We came across a reference to Christian Lindholm, of the design firm Fjord, and his “of-course principle of design”. “Most companies, he said, are looking to ‘wow’ with their products, when in reality what they should be looking for is an ‘of course’ reaction from their users.” We’re not opposed to brands creating a “wow” sensation, at least when there is a genuine reason to make people feel that way. Often, it is better for brands to strive to create numerous “of course” moments with...
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Turning Strong CSR Stories Into New Meaning For Your Employees

February 21, 2012 —

Turning Strong CSR Stories Into New Meaning For Your Employees

Building meaningful CSR stories A strong CSR report provides an excellent starting point for your brand to achieve a meaningful position in the hearts and minds of your employees. There is even greater value when those reports lead with strong CSR stories. That’s because, according to a recent Forbes report, CSR and employee engagement work hand in hand: Hewitt & Associations found that, “the more a company actively pursues worthy environmental and social efforts, the more engaged its employees are”. The Society for Human Resources Management found that for companies...
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Bridge the Meaning Gap and Watch Your Brand Soar

January 17, 2012 —

Bridge the Meaning Gap and Watch Your Brand Soar

We believe there’s a growing gap between what your brand needs and what people want. Your brand needs to have a stronger presence today and be a better fit for the future. This means the people in your organization need to work better together to help you achieve your goals – but, we’re guessing they aren’t as motivated and collaborative as you need. People want more meaning in their lives and are more discerning about the products they buy, who they buy from, and the companies for which they work. This means your organization has to reach out to people in ways that...
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December 15, 2011 —

People Respond to Meaningful Brands

According to a recent study by Havas Media, only 20% of brands have a notable positive impact on our sense of wellbeing and quality of life. The study further reveals how the expectations, judgements and behavior of people are evolving in ways that must make brand-owners rethink their current strategies: For the 4th year running consumer expectations of companies’ responsible behaviour continues to rise Nearly 85% of consumers worldwide expect companies to become actively involved in solving these issues (an increase of 15% from 2010) Those prepared to reward responsible companies by...
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TOMS Shoes: When Being Meaningful Becomes the Business You Are In

June 6, 2011 —

TOMS Shoes: When Being Meaningful Becomes the Business You Are In

TOMS Shoes has built a strong business and huge following based on its altruistic approach to selling shoes: buy a pair from TOMS and TOMS gives a second pair to someone who really needs them. Now they’re taking this “one-for-one” philosophy used to build the image of the company and turning it into their business model. To us, this is far more than a “rebranding” exercise, it’s the transformation of TOMS into a business inspired by a noble ambition. It is emblematic of the next generation of business in which enterprises take on broad social...
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