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1334 Article, Brand, Culture, Purpose
There is something ruthlessly compelling about a fresh shoot coming up through the cold earth, like a promise, a single pair of green wings in a sea of black. As I sit in my small garden tractor, rototiller primed at the rear, a straight path before me, I am arrested by the silent plea of the single, fresh, green, shoot. “Let me grow,” it seems to cry, “and I will bear much fruit.” Such a persuasive cry. Were it audible, it would melt the heart of even the most hardened rototiller. So compelling are the promises of this longed for glimpse of spring, that I drive around it on the first pass, and then again, on the second. It’s alive, after all, and in a sea of winter detritus, that surely counts for a lot. On the third pass, I grind it back into the soil, a false promise masquerading as grounded hope.
The patch of soil in question before the grinding wheels of my tiller, once held an abundance of pumpkins. There, they thrived, and spread their seeds, as the winter froze open the remaining fruits. Yet seeds and their promise are only part of the story, for as a wise sage once said, “it is by their fruits that you shall know them.” Some brands promise a lot, from athletic prowess to automated data processing, to recovered youthful vigour. The promise is intoxicating, but the taste is often sour. It is easy to look like a seed. It is much harder to grow to true promise and bear the fruit of a known quantity than the lush greenery of an unfulfilled promise.
At The Telosity Company, we think of each brand as having an “archetype.” This “archetype” is the brand’s identifiable true form. It is a character that can be delivered, celebrated, and lived. Your brand is not merely the attractive promises of what might appear, but rather the rich satisfaction of a promise found true. One that grows ‘true to form’ that bears its fruit “in season” not merely when convenient.
Most of us have been subject to one personality test or another. We read with both bemusement and intrigue the reports of our personality preferences vis-à-vis others. And our friends delight in pointing out the irrepressible consistency with which each of us seems to live true to form. Such typology, while inherently limited, is often helpful in identifying patterns of behaviour with which others, and occasionally ourselves, are undoubtedly familiar.
Brands and the companies that they represent also grow and bear fruit true to form. The founder of a local organic food producer is relentlessly cheerful and optimistic, so too is his business. A global advertising agency with thousands of employees is always first with the best thinking but struggles in execution. A bright technology startup wants its customers to experience personalized service, yet the lack of empathy in its culture impedes its brand. In many ways, every brand emerges from a founder culture and rarely do they stray far from their DNA. The cultural transformation of companies is not unlike the success of long-lasting relationships whose members have long stopped trying to change the foundational DNA of their life partner.
The real evidence of a healthy brand is not what is said or claimed, but the experienced fruit. Some business interactions just leave a bad taste in our mouth. Lots of CSR (community + social responsibility) claims are well articulated, but poorly lived. Some questions to reflect upon:
Dan says, “The foundation of brand activation lives in the development of a brand archetype. An archetype brings to life the personality and character that will be outward facing in the marketplace. It becomes a filter for all outward communications, so you are truly living your brand. We can help you build a brand archetype that embodies the identity of your organization to give it a voice.”
Dan says, “We all know cash is the lifeblood blood of an organization. There is a lot of truth in that statement as it keeps the lights on in an organization to continue to deliver on a brand promise. However, there comes a turning point where hard decisions have to be made around the right fit for an organization. When we help you put together a brand archetype, it provides clarity and a grounding to stay true to the core identity of your business. This is how brand trust is built; by making the hard decisions.”
Dan says, “A core framework at Telosity involves the relationship of purpose, brand and culture. When building a brand archetype, it must match the internal identity, or culture, of your business. It is dangerous to make a brand promise that isn’t fulfilling and meaningful to your team. Both culture and brand must together embody a one identity so you can fulfill internally what you promise externally. This begins with empathy, a core value that is of utmost importance to us at Telosity.
In these crucibilous days, it is easy to promote the promise of a healthy brand. Still, we might be wise to pay attention to the core character, the archetype of our brand, and ensure that propagation does not trump authenticity.
If you have an interest in discovering what it looks like for your brand to grow and bear fruit during good and difficult times, send an email us at dan@telositycompany.com.
Here at The Telosity Company our motto is to “Do Good Work”. We are passionate about helping leaders build healthy human companies. For us, Purpose comes before Profit. We need a lot of the first. There will be enough of the second.
If we can help, please ask. Click here to contact us
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As the COVID-19 pandemic sweeps across our world, our country, our region and our homes, we find this is a time, more than ever, to know our Purpose as a business and to live it out every day. For us, at The Telosity Company, we seek to help leaders Build Healthy Human Companies that Do Good Work.
More than ever, this is our commitment to our clients, to serve by helping you know your Purpose and Identity as a company and live it out, creatively, every day in the Good Work you can do in your community, especially when it is so needed.
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