Tune in every week for a roundup of hand-picked brand lessons, tips and advice that can be applied to your brand.
How to Determine If Your Brand Lacks Purpose
As business owners we don’t naturally think that “we lack purpose”, after all, don’t we show up every day and make products that people buy? Isn’t that our purpose? The truth is, it isn’t. When you shackle your company’s purpose to the agenda of your products and services, you only ever grow to fill the available space that they provide. Read More >
4 Lessons for Business from Gross National Happiness
This April, the third edition of the World Happiness Report was published – a report born from the United Nation’s 2011 resolution and published by the Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN) – demonstrating again that even moderate well-being and happiness are critical indicators of a country’s success and progress and produces tangible benefits. Many countries (and not just Bhutan) have begun to measure their own versions of “Gross National Happiness.” Read More >
The Real Reason Why Companies Fail
According to Harvard Business Review, a well-conceived vision consists of two major components: core ideology and envisioned future. The core ideology dictates who you are and what you stand for while the envisioned future helps create a strategic plan in a constantly changing world. This unified vision allows a company to answer questions quickly, make directional business decisions, hire the right staff and maybe most importantly, allows for the democratization of the company: a unified vision that is ingrained in the culture allows every staff member, be they 20 year veterans or interns three months into their assignment to make decisions “on brand” without the need for layers of management to approve.
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Philanthropy or Charity? The Difference a Purpose Makes in 3 Steps
Charity is an act born of kindness – giving money, a coat or food to those in need. Philanthropy is a philosophy. Derived from the Greek word philanthrōpía, meaning a love for mankind. True and authentic philanthropy is an altruistic intent to promote the welfare of others, and a belief that through philanthropic efforts one can improve lives. Charity is tactical, philanthropy is strategic. Charity provides a short-term solution, philanthropy is in it for the long haul. So, which is your company engaged in?
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Why People, Process and Product are Not Enough
What’s the impact of avoiding or ignoring the articulation of purpose? If Apple had just focused on product, they’d still be a tiny computer company. If LIFE magazine had focused on sharing the 20th Century’s most important stories through compelling visuals instead of focusing on magazine publishing, they might still be around. Read More >
