The Power of Branding and Core Values
We recently had the pleasure of engaging in a thought-provoking conversation. John Golden from Sales POP Online Sales Magazine and Pipeline CRM interviews Lenya McGrath. She is a seasoned marketing leader with nearly two decades of experience. Our discussion revolved around the importance of branding and core values and the role they play in shaping a company’s identity and relationship with its customers.
The Anthropology of Branding
Lenya McGrath, with her extensive experience in marketing, emphasized the need for authenticity in brand messaging. She astutely pointed out that consumers can easily spot inauthenticity and may not trust a brand that lacks genuine beliefs. This is where the role of her company comes into play. They work with brands to uncover their core beliefs by listening, observing, and understanding the organization’s culture.
Lenya likens their approach to that of anthropologists. Uncovering hidden layers and connecting the dots to find the brand’s true belief system. This process is not just about discovering what a brand stands for. Aligning internal beliefs across different groups within the organization.
The Power of Authenticity and Alignment
John added to the conversation by stating that core beliefs don’t have to be grand or global. They can be as simple as a commitment to excellent customer service. Lenya agreed and gave examples of brands like Zappos and Patagonia. Authentic belief systems that align with their brand identities.
Both John and Lenya stressed the importance of not just saying the beliefs but also living them out in every aspect of the business. They cautioned against inauthenticity and the trust disconnect that can arise when a brand’s actions don’t align with their messaging.
The Risks of Inauthentic Promises
Our discussion also highlighted the risks of making inauthentic promises and the potential damage it can cause to a brand’s reputation and customer trust. We emphasized the need for organizations to align their beliefs and principles across the entire business, ensuring consistency in customer experience at every touchpoint.
The Challenges of Modern Organizations
The conversation then shifted to the challenges of aligning a modern organization, which may be virtual, hybrid, or globally distributed. We emphasized the importance of CEO embodiment, where the leader at the top drives the alignment of beliefs throughout the organization. We also discussed the opportunity for self-selection among employees, allowing those who are not aligned with the organization’s beliefs to opt out.
The Impact of COVID-19 and the Role of Belief
We concluded by mentioning the impact of COVID-19 on people’s alignment with their organizations and how belief can be a tool to attract and retain the right people while repelling those who are not aligned. Lenya introduced her agency, Believer, which helps organizations unearth their authentic beliefs and align them with their brand identity.
In conclusion, our discussion underscored the importance of authenticity and alignment in building trust with customers. It’s not just about what a brand says, but what it does and how it aligns its actions with its core beliefs. This is the key to building a strong, authentic brand that resonates with customers and stands the test of time.
Our Host
John is the Amazon bestselling author of Winning the Battle for Sales: Lessons on Closing Every Deal from the World’s Greatest Military Victories and Social Upheaval: How to Win at Social Selling. A globally acknowledged Sales & Marketing thought leader, speaker, and strategist, he has conducted over 1500 video interviews of thought leaders for Sales POP! online sales magazine & YouTube Channel and for audio podcast channels where Sales POP! is rated in the top 2% of most popular shows out of 3,320,580 podcasts globally, ranked by Listen Score. He is CSMO at Pipeliner CRM. In his spare time, John is an avid Martial Artist.
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