“I think if the people who work for a business are proud of the business they work for, they’ll work that much harder, and therefore, I think turning your business into a real force for good is good business sense as well.” Sir Richard Branson Most board and executive perspectives still separate profit and Purpose […]

What does a vision statement entail? And how do you envision your future? Defining your vision gives you a visual and even sense of direction. It allows you to create a clear path that directs you towards a goal. Remember: If you don’t know where you’re headed, how will you get there?

Your brand, a product of both your culture and history, is a steady rock. This might be your unique point of stability for the decade(s) to come. More than ever, your investors will be looking for these rare elements of stability. We suggest that now is a good time to take stock and reflect on what makes you unique.

The dilemmas related to corporate vs. maverick approaches are not new. Fast-forward to today’s world and we see that a maverick culture is still cutting-edge. For example, Dr. Harold Puthoff, the physicist who has worked closely for decades with the intelligence community (CIA, NASA, DIA, etc.), has listed the areas of interest on where leading-edge tech trends are headed. Top scientists around the world were commissioned for their technical input. What’s interesting is that among such futuristic studies as ‘programmable matter’, ‘invisibility cloaking’ or ‘meta-materials, in that list there was also – ‘corporate vs. maverick inventor cultures’.2

Brand positioning is a simple concept, but hard to get right. Your brand position is all about occupying a very specific space in someone else’s heart and mind that resonates in a relevant and compelling way – to the point where someone expresses interest, purchases your product/service, and becomes an advocate of yours. Powerful brands like Harley-Davidson have successfully positioned their products, and their products have become brands themselves. Just think of Kleenex. What used to be a simple tissue is now a line of products using the Kleenex brand. And if you can position away from the rationality, then all the better. No one buys a Harley to get from A to B. What matters is the journey – and everyone and everything in between. That’s worth a lot and translates into higher-margin, organic advocacy tattoo-like loyalty.

A ‘value system’ is a coherent set of beliefs and attitudes that influences every part of who we are and how we behave. Values are the deepest parts of what make us human, governing how we see the world and respond to it. Values help us decide what is right or wrong, good or bad, normal or weird. And they often work at a level below conscious thought – values help us make those snap judgments when we meet a new person, and they inform our major life decisions such as who to marry, how to handle death and what makes us happy.

Resilience is our ability to protect ourselves from the potential negative effects of stress factors. Succeeding, even excelling, despite incredibly difficult circumstances, is what real resilience is all about. But as most of us know, this is much easier said than done. Very few people and perhaps even fewer companies truly master it. Resilience isn’t built overnight. On a personal level, our upbringing, our environment, experiences (both good and bad) and even DNA all play a role, organizational resilience is easier to architect. So, what does make us (more) resilient?

Resilience is our ability to protect ourselves from the potential negative effects of stress factors. Succeeding, even excelling, despite incredibly difficult circumstances, is what real resilience is all about. But as most of us know, this is much easier said than done. Very few people and perhaps even fewer companies truly master it. Resilience isn’t built overnight. On a personal level, our upbringing, our environment, experiences (both good and bad) and even DNA all play a role, organizational resilience is easier to architect. So, what does make us (more) resilient?

I had the pleasure of giving an interview on purpose to Austin, TX based communications consultant Jo Detavernier. We discussed among other things how companies can find their purpose and implement it throughout their organization.

What should we look out for to successfully navigate these choppy times for our businesses, brands and our teams? Today, not tomorrow is when we all need to rethink and reimagine the future. So that we can all move forward with meaning, clarity, and position ourselves for recovery.

Beyond the Obvious: #future #growth #strategy #brand #purpose #culture #transformation. Dig deeper and you will undoubtedly notice subtle shifts in 2020.

Assets and awareness of Responsible Investment continue to rise – yet asset managers still struggle to express their often-good intent through their brand.

Recent years reveal an unmistakable trend towards responsible investing and growing awareness of the importance of Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) investment. Now in its second edition, the H&K Responsible Investment Brand Index (in short RIBITM) has once again analysed over two hundred European asset managers with a view to validating whether their good intent is also communicated through their brand. The index evaluates actual commitment against follow-through in brand architecture and offers even sharper insights.

What companies can learn from academic Institutions. Despite small budgets, Universities (academic brands) are much more successful in building and managing reputation than many international corporations.

The number of asset management M&A deals increased by close to 20% from 2017 to 2018 – and the trend doesn’t seem to stop. On the contrary, the number of transactions was more than 40% higher in Q1 2019 vs Q1 2018. Furthermore, almost 3,000 hedge funds have closed between the beginning of 2015 to the end of Q3 2018. Do wealth and asset managers have no other choice than to either merge or close?

Luxury marketing works differently. In a world where scarcity drives demand, leveraging the democratizing effects of technology is just not natural. So, then, what are the strategic approaches for dealing with technology in relation to luxury brand management?

Strategic Communications Prognosis 2019+ BEYOND THE OBVIOUS. What should we be reflecting on in order to successfully navigate the future beyond operational imperatives?

Asset Management through the lens of Purpose: Responsible Investment is not reflected in how Asset Managers convey their identity

The widely spread assumption is that there is power in collaboration. In reality, the actual power is not in the process of collaboration on its own. Exponential power only unfolds if and when the right individuals, organizations, agents or brands collaborate in synchrony for the right reasons.

Individuals of influence are under greater scrutiny than ever, and allegations and/or evidence thereof, despite their veracity, may have a long-lasting impact on one's reputation.

How is demand going to be influenced? What are the key areas to bear in mind when strengthening the brand and creating demand beyond the inevitable, tactical focus of pushing for short-term results?

Reduced to the max and expressed in five words or less, Purpose sits right at the invisible core of positive transformation.

A brand's language reflects its culture. A cultured brand, therefore, is one that celebrates language. Brands usually communicate in an articulate manner both externally and internally, focusing on two important factors: the context and the addressee. These two factors do not alter the overall structure of the brand's lingua franca - but if the language is not aligned with a brand's values, vision, ideology and ultimately its overarching raison d'être, it will not resonate no matter how clearly and beautifully written ...

Published in the Journal of Brand Strategy 2017 Volume 6 Number 1 --- Abstract Navigating towards a substantially better future requires a balanced commitment of long-term vision and strategic decision making. In order for a brand to navigate towards a future where it thrives rather than merely survives, finding, articulating and applying a higher purpose […]

I feel privileged to be working with some fascinating brands and their teams not just on articulating their brand propositions (strategy), but also on the plans and actions to get these heard (tactics). It is the combination of both that provides depth, learning and continuous enjoyment in the fast paced world of 21st century brand […]