Immersive Brand Innovation in Real Time
Only a day to transform brands into something more deeply resonant and effective
For more than ten years I’ve been on this journey of seeking to infuse a greater dimension of authenticity into the realm of doing business, which means jettisoning the notion that there is a difference between the way we do business and the way we do life. There is no separation IMHO. If we hold certain values in our family life, social life, spiritual and religious life, why would there be a separate set of values for our business life?
Answer: because of how we’ve been conditioned to think. Business is about money (the narrative goes), which means values of respect, empathy, compassion, generosity, and even love have no place in the business world.
Rubbish.
It’s just a choice we make, and most of us have made the choice because of the very powerful force of social conditioning.
There is a different way though, and it doesn’t necessarily mean sporting a man-bun, wearing Birkenstocks, or eating alfalfa sprouts. If you like suits, then wear them. If you like getting up in the morning and donning sweatpants and a hoodie before heading to your in-home desk so be it. This is not about conservative or liberal, capitalist or socialist, or even hard-core profit-centric versus social enterprise.
It's about authenticity, which translates to values, which translates to a more resonant brand, which translates to so many things such as a stronger culture, more effective marketing, and more meaningful work.
It begins with a simple question: Are we in business to make money, or do we make money to do the work we love to do? It may sound like semantics, but it’s a powerfully transformative question.
We tend to think of business in binary terms. We’re either all about the profit, or we forsake profit to do meaningful work — that social and environmental enterprise means we likely won’t make as much money. But profit and purpose are not mutually exclusive. They can and do coexist and thrive together.
I won’t quote the statistics of how embodying more authentic values in business results in greater prosperity because it doesn’t matter. No matter how many examples we hear of purpose-driven companies succeeding it won’t move the needle because they’re just numbers.
But instead, if I asked if you would like to transform your working life so that your career feels deeply meaningful, what would you say?
Would you be curious? Would you think it’s too good to be true? Would you think I’m suggesting you take a vow of poverty?
And then what would you say if I said I could help you move the needle on transforming your working life in just one day? Would a day of your life be worth it?
For the past ten years I’ve been scratching along, improving and perfecting a method for business transformation through a deepening connection to purpose. It’s called brand strategy. But I only call it that because I have to call it something that sounds somewhat familiar and achievable. If I called it what it truly is people would look perplexed. Ask me how I know. I’ve seen the look all too often.
A more recent description I’ve been hearing from a friend is that it’s a little “fringe” — which I interpret to mean a little out there, a little too much toward the idealistic not the practical.
Well, yes and no. It’s definitely idealistic, but not impractical. And it’s only a bit “out there” because of social and economic conditioning that implants a kind of narrative that “good businesspeople” are those who always go for the money.
Again I say, rubbish.
Some of the largest and most successful companies in the world are those with the resources to hire high-priced strategy firms to help them cultivate a kind of brand narrative that is powerfully resonant with their audience. Apple is a legendary example. These companies spend months, if not years, and hundreds of thousands if not millions to develop their brand voice and narrative.
This kind of strategy work is utterly inaccessible to the small business owner. Even if they had the time they wouldn’t have the money.
That is until now.
The past ten years of running through a lengthy brand strategy process with small business owners has taught me many things. Here’s a short list,
Sophisticated brand strategy is a very special skill that is beyond the comprehension of most people because it requires the development of a kind of muscle memory for feeling into brands that does not come naturally.
Trying to educate the business world in the value of authentic brand strategy is not an effective marketing strategy, because we don’t know what we don’t know.
Even if I charged bargain basement prices, the time required for the process will prevent most business leaders from engaging in it.
Building a truly authentic brand is not a box to check, it’s a process that evolves and progresses over time.
Most importantly, cultivating an authentic brand is the true superpower available to every small business.
Through years of study and practice I now have a way of accessing a level of brand sophistication and resonance in one day. It’s called immersive brand innovation workshops, and I’m only now unveiling this new technology.
I will no longer seek to educate people as to why a company should hire me for a three-month process to build a brand. Yes, it would be a good idea to do so, but there is too much friction in today’s fast paced environment for that kind of commitment. And yet, I have always wanted this level of brand sophistication to be fully accessible to the small businessperson — and now it is.
I’ve developed a way of deepening brands in a group environment in real time. Which is to say that through the power of group intelligence and collaboration, together with my process of facilitation and a journey through the story of brand resonance I have the system for deepening the authenticity of brands in short order.
Realistically, it’s not that a brand is completely overhauled in one day, but rather that business leaders leave with a new understanding, new tools, and a roadmap for the continual development of their brand, leading them to deeper authenticity, a stronger brand, and more success doing the work they love to do.
Why is this important?
Simple. To empower small businesses with the kind of brand sophistication that was previously only available to big-budget companies, and even more importantly, to enable the visions of small business owners to thrive.
And why is vision so important?
Well, I feel as though a whole book could be written to answer this one question, but the short answer is that without vision we have nothing. We are merely cogs in a wheel. We are stuck in a hamster wheel pursuing the result instead of the purpose. Money (e.g. profit) is a result. It’s not the reason. And when we pursue the result our lives feel empty.
Each of us have innate gifts. Searching for our gifts and aligning our vocation around them is exhilarating and uplifting. It gives our lives meaning.
And more deeply still, when we live and work from a place of meaning we do things differently, we treat people differently, we seek different things from life, and everything gets better.
I could use the familiar buzz words to describe it. I could say, “grow your business,” “increase ROI,” “become more competitive,” to try and entice a wider audience, but then I would be contradicting myself, even though ROI and growth are natural extensions of having a more resonant brand. The point is that we achieve growth and ROI not by pursuing the sole goal of financial gain, but rather through expressing ourselves more authentically in our brands more people will want what we have. In other words, leading from vision.
If you’re a small business owner and you want more from your work, or you know someone who does, than take a look at the new offering. These workshops are designed either for groups of small business leaders, or within organizations seeking to advance their brand in a collaborative team environment.
It’s a paradigm shift for those seeking more from their work. If these words spark your curiosity we invite you to help spread the word.
If you’ve enjoyed this post please like, share, and subscribe. And thank you for your support.
Wonderful approach! As I read this I envisioned a pamphlet, a mailer or handout for small businesses, that would say exactly this. It'd also be good to have one of your future sessions videotaped (well edited with B-roll) showing small businesses engaged in your branding process. All that's down the road, but you've got the heart of it in this post.