Topics

Purpose

Meaningful Millennials: In the Workplace

February 11, 2016 —

Meaningful Millennials: In the Workplace

This is the second installment in our weekly series entitled “Meaningful Millennials”, where we interview millennials on a variety of different subjects that are top of mind for us in the studio. As a brand strategy firm, we work with our clients to help develop strategies that enable their brand, their business, and their workplaces to be more meaningful. This year, there has been a lot of work in the studio around employer branding, improving employee engagement, shifting culture, recruiting top talent internationally, and understanding how to create a meaningful workplace for millennials....
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The CEO Challenge – Turning Corporate Vision Into Reality

February 2, 2016 —

The CEO Challenge – Turning Corporate Vision Into Reality

The corporate vision statement We’ve written before about the gaps between what business leaders believe and what their employees think when it comes to the company’s corporate vision and values. Today we’d like to explore another gap. This is the gap between what the CEO sees as the company’s vision, and what employees are doing to help achieve that vision – often referred to as the Corporate Vision Statement. In some cases, the gap exists simply because employees haven’t been informed of the vision. As such, they are left to their own devices, pulling the...
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Inspiration from Purpose-Led CEO of Givesurance, Jennifer Rasiah

November 25, 2015 —

Inspiration from Purpose-Led CEO of Givesurance, Jennifer Rasiah

We had the pleasure of sitting down and speaking with Jennifer Rasiah, founder of Givesurance and the Emotive Brand epitome of a purpose-led leader. Starting as a claims evaluator at Prudential Financial and working her way up to Senior Executive at Hub International, Jennifer had 15 years of experience in the insurance industry under her belt when she decided to make a change. A meaningful change. She wanted to make a real difference in the world and saw an opportunity to leverage her deep knowledge of the insurance industry and her innate desire to give back. So, Jennifer created...
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Why Leaders That Matter Look Outward

November 5, 2015 —

Why Leaders That Matter Look Outward

One of the biggest challenges for any leader is to maintain a holistic perspective of the world. Too often, the pressures of the market, of shareholders, and the organization, keep the leader looking inward. This inward-looking behavior extends to the rest of the organization, because people “follow the leader”. As a result, the organization continues to spiral down into egocentric, myopic and self-serving behavior. Unfortunately, this self-serving attitude, and way of being, puts the organization in the class of “most” businesses, and therefore, dilutes whatever...
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Purpose Beyond Profit – A Shift in Perspective

November 2, 2015 —

Purpose Beyond Profit – A Shift in Perspective

At Emotive Brand, we’re big on the concept of Purpose Beyond Profit. Apparently, people interpret this phrase in interesting ways. Some jump to the conclusion that it means “purpose instead of profit.” That’s a valid approach for B-Corps, perhaps, but most companies – including this one – would prefer to make some money. Some people think the phrase means “profit plus being good to the environment.” We’re okay with that definition, but it’s still too easy for many brands to dismiss for one reason or another. The deeper definition applies to all brands, if they can make a simple shift in...
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What Does This Say About Your Leadership Style?

July 30, 2015 —

What Does This Say About Your Leadership Style?

Leadership style. What is yours? Gianpiero Petriglieri is Associate Professor of Organizational Behavior at INSEAD, a regular contributor to the HBR blog, and a prolific and insightful tweeter. Indeed, the title of this post is taken from one of his recent tweets promoting his latest piece on HBR, “There is no shortage of leaders.” Professor Petriglieri’s main point is that the methods and goals of leadership are misplaced. He suggests that the current view of leadership development and practice is falling short of what’s needed in today’s world. “There is no shortage of leadership at all.”...
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Is it Time for Your Business to Embrace the Purpose Economy?

July 21, 2015 —

Is it Time for Your Business to Embrace the Purpose Economy?

According to Aaron Hurst, we’ve moved from the Information Economy to the Purpose Economy. He states that this is a natural evolution, which is taking us from the first levels of human organization, the hoe-and-plow Agrarian Economy, through the smokestacks of the Industrial Economy, to the data farms of the Information Economy, and now to the human-centric Purpose Economy. Each of these economies been built on top of the proceeding, and represent evolutions more than revolutions. In his book, Hurst states: “When I say purpose, I mean more than serving others and the planet. Service is...
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Meaningful Brands Keep Promises

April 20, 2015 —

Meaningful Brands Keep Promises

Meaningful Brands are not so easy to come by Is your brand strategy working as hard as it could be? Or is it being held back by these all-too-common corporate traits: myopia, narrow-mindedness, and self-centeredness? Does your brand strategy focus only on the “what” and “how” of your offering? Does it mostly talk to senior management in the cryptic language only MBAs understand? If so, your brand isn’t hitting the right notes in today’s marketplace. Today’s most innovative and successful brands are built upon a different premise. They seek to forge meaningful connections with people, not...
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CSR and Purpose-Driven Brands Go Hand in Hand

March 26, 2015 —

CSR and Purpose-Driven Brands Go Hand in Hand

CSR and purpose go hand in hand.  We are always moved when companies make a profound effort to identify and then act on a social issue. Especially very large companies. We know how hard it can be. It’s not always obvious how to identify an issue that matters to your brand, and then do the hard work to identify the brand with solutions that matter to people. Making a CSR part of the brand’s core purpose takes commitment from the top. It takes time and it takes money. But it can have a huge pay-off when handled with authentic, sincere, and meaningful programs that are appropriate for the...
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Should Your Business Embrace a Purpose-led Brand Strategy?

March 11, 2015 —

Should Your Business Embrace a Purpose-led Brand Strategy?

Purpose-led The notion of purpose-led  does more than make brands appealing to people – it makes money for the businesses that embrace the concept. So claims the chairman of Deloitte, an active evangelist for the “squishy business attribute” called purpose. Why invest in a woolly, emotional, and squishy idea like purpose? Won’t it be hard to get everyone in my organization and all my customers to understand and embrace it? What is it really beyond a set of words? What value does brand strategy deliver? These are the questions I often confront as a proponent of empathy, purpose, and emotion....
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