3 Key Strategies to Build Your Brand and Culture in a Reimagined Future
April 29, 2022 | By Jennifer Hamilton
Across the globe, companies disrupted by the pandemic are facing a similar challenge: how to reset their brand and culture to reflect what is important to people today. From conversations on creating equitable experiences to flexible, asynchronous working models, norms such as a 9-5 p.m. workday are no longer benchmarks of truth for what people need or want.
To understand how to address these challenges, we must understand a company’s vision and brand objectives to make an appropriate recommendation that aligns with their future culture. Many organizations, cities, and private and public clients alike are in the middle of a brand renaissance, and they’re looking to refresh, reposition, and rebrand for the future.
Here are three key drivers of change and areas of focus for brands to reset and realign with people’s needs in a changing world:
1. Fluidity
Work and life are more fluid and flexible. Many knowledge workers have never had greater freedom and choice than they do today to navigate the boundaries between personal and professional needs. The typical 9-5 p.m. schedule is no longer a critical requirement for how people get their work done. Many companies are exploring asynchronous models for 24/7 operating environments and they’re looking at how brand and culture must support this through internal messaging letting everyone know they are on equal footing, no matter where they work.
Corporate communications must remain flexible to react to global issues in real time. As we have all seen with the return to the office, as soon as organizations draw a line in the sand about processes and cultural expectations, disruptive forces can prompt them to reset or pivot to a new direction. In fact, hardline corporate messages will create employee disdain, so shouldn’t we take a more fluid approach?
2. Equity
Whether you meet in person or virtually, the goal of the experience should be to make it equitable for those involved. We must work to undo old behaviors and habits, to find a better path forward. Many companies are testing new neighborhood norms, engaging in culture workshops, and finding new common language that aligns with where teams are today.
3. Simplification
We have over indexed on the ability to find content anywhere, at any time. Language around feeling burnt out and exhausted are commonly discussed on news channels with the ongoing “Great Resignation.” After the last two years, people are looking for ways to regain balance and control in this new model of life and work coexisting. In today’s landscape, people are seeking simplicity.
Health and wellness continue to be top of mind for many people. In fact, one of Google’s top 2021 online searches focused on maintaining mental health. Since the brands we touch, whether while we’re at work, out shopping, or traveling, are critical to how we view the world, they should consider how to help us regain balance through simple and direct messaging.
Clients are asking us to help them understand and address the new realities resulting from the last few years and experiences tied to the pandemic. We have come to the table with ideas on how to host culture workshops to get team members, employees, clients, guests, and customers talking about their new needs. We are working on a wide range of tools for change management and localized brand activation, such as neighborhood norms posters than can be displayed in your workplace to inspire colleagues to talk about what will and won’t work for the team anymore. We are creating experiences for virtual and in-person environments to help people connect to one another more deeply, no matter where they are.
These are just a few of the strategies, tools, and tactics that companies can take to rebuild their brand and culture during these uncertain and evolving times. Please contact us to begin a conversation about how we can support you now and into the future.
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