New Realities
The world is rapidly changing. And yet, the branding industry has done little to keep pace with this changing world. Most of the methods still used date back to the mid 1950s, when branding and marketing were born of a consumer culture that focused on commodities, customers and competition.
But a new set of rules has emerged here at WestWordVision. We have created an alternative to the commodity-based production worldview. Tapping into the inner world of human collectives, we help our clients create authentic and sustainable brands, develop more informed and rapid strategic decision making, craft and share epic stories and roll out their critical agendas.
When people focus on what they share in common and what they can achieve together, they have the potential to change their community, their industry and the world.
With this change has come a new set of rules for our branding and marketing solutions:
Life Inside
Collective personality, intellect and energy, expressed by how much impact the collective has within itself and externally on other organizations, its industry and the market
Success Patterns
A continuous feedback loop based on historic successes implemented for continual learning and adjusting to change
A Perception-Equals-Reality Reality
Alignment of internal culture with public perceptions and the actual work of the collective
A New Bottom Line
Social, innovation and imagination capital, in addition to financial capital, leveraged throughout the system
And with these new rules has come a new definition of branding for WestWordVision. The old “cooked” definition was:
Old Branding Definition:
Branding is identity expressed through name, logo, slogans, symbols and design that differentiates one seller’s product from another
The new “uncooked” brand definition looks like this:
New Branding Definition:
Branding is identity expressed through personality, leadership, knowledge, mastery and products that differentiates one organization’s life from another
As we create authentic brands for our clients, we keep these four new realities in mind:
New Reality #1:
Branding communicates the unique, multi-faceted nature of the people who create products and services
New Reality #2:
Customers care more about the quality of an organization’s values, beliefs and ethics, than its products and services
New Reality #3:
Branding relies on long-term relationships, trust and loyalty, not selling
New Reality #4:
Organizational culture defines the brand, much more than customers’ perceptions