We have a saying at EllisJames: “You can’t do your hair when you’re an inch from the mirror.” It means we’re all so closely tied to what we do day-to-day, it’s almost impossible to get a down-to-earth perspective on what makes us special. Every business is unique in some way, and our tried and tested process is excellent at revealing it. That’s an important point – this isn’t about making something up; it’s about discovering what is already there, but unacknowledged.
Increasingly we seek a deeper, more meaningful involvement with the products we buy or the services we provide; we all want to know what we’re getting up for on a Monday morning. This is as true of us as employees as it is consumers; the businesses that can demonstrate a living sense of purpose in their work are those that will attract the best people. And inspired people stay longer and give more. More importantly, they’re happier and more fulfilled.
A brand’s aspiration is its sense of vision and legacy: “What difference do we want to leave behind, and how do we want people to remember us?” Where purpose inspires us to get up on a Monday morning, vision inspires to keep going. It’s an essential pillar of a strong and richly articulated brand, because it draws your people in close and points them in the same direction. And when that happens, all things are possible.
For us, brand is the datum – it is the single vanishing point from which we draw our perspective on the future. When you are not only clear about why you do what you do, but inspired by it, you’ve got better clarity on the decisions you need to make to deliver those goals. This influences decisions at every point of the organisation, from: “is this person right for us?” to: “do we take this advertising opportunity?”; “do we invest in this innovation?” to: “is this client aligned with our values?”
A lot of organisations unnecessarily constrain themselves by their own definitions of who they are or what they do. If you define yourself as a window cleaner, you’ll clean windows. If you are driven to create lighter, brighter office environments for people to work in, your options suddenly multiply.
We’ve no idea what makes us unique
We don’t know what our ‘Purpose’ is
We’ve never considered how we change the world for the better
If people ask what we do, we show them a list of our services
If you ask ten team members what we do, you’ll get ten different answers
Brand-led consultants with a track record for helping organisations identify and leverage their uniqueness.
Courage isn’t about knowing the path, it’s about taking the first step. Do you wish you had someone you could bounce ideas around, instead of having to come up with it all by yourself?
We can help with that.
Book your free strategy call to discuss how we can help you exceed your business expectations. Rather shoot us an email? That’s okay with us too.
EllisJames have been brilliant in helping us distil our story
Getting the story of your business and its distinctive offer across to an audience succinctly and consistently is key to success; EllisJames have been brilliant in helping us distil our story and build our brand. All, of course, at pace.
