Does your Core Essence inform everything your company does from Marketing to Recruitment?
There is a lot of buzz around companies being purpose-lead at the moment, and putting my cards on the table from the outset, I completely agree that the essence, or purpose of a company is key to growth and success…
So what does purpose-lead actually mean? I have heard and read a variety of interpretations of purpose and mission statements that give companies the justification to claim that they are purpose-lead:
‘Our CEO is driven by the fact that our products will serve the purpose for which they were designed – 100%’,
‘We combine aggressive strategic marketing with quality products and services at competitive prices’
‘To supply the our customers and the consumers with the finest, high-quality products’
‘To provide customers with as near perfect protection, as near perfect service as is humanly possible and to do so at the lowest possible cost’
My view is that none of these give the customer or employee a real insight into why the company is in business or what they stand for.
Your company’s purpose is it’s reason for being; the thing that makes you get out of bed in the morning excited to go to work. If that’s not how you feel about your company I suggest that either your company does not know or communicate it’s core purpose, or alternatively the purpose of the company does not align with your own and therefore does not excite you.
Company Essence = Purpose + Personality
In order for your company purpose to catch the attention of both customers and employers I believe it needs an added dimension – a personality. This is what I am referring to when I talk about discovering the core essence or brand essence of a company. It’s that intangible feeling that people get when they engage with your company that helps them to decide whether they like you, trust you and ultimately want to do business with you – or work for you. For them to engage at that kind of depth I believe you need to be prepared to expose the real core depth of your beliefs and values as a company and let them see you for who you truly are.
There is always a risk that exposing the personality of the company (its who) as well as its purpose (its why) will repel some people, but it will repel the right people who are not a good fit for you as a company while it will attract those who are a good fit. Employees who recognise and empathise with your company’s essence (the combination of its Why and Who) will go the extra mile while customers who align are likely to be more loyal as well as becoming advocates.
In order to attract the right people your core essence has to be embedded company-wide, not just held by the leadership team and broadcasted. Your essence becomes the foundation of your company culture and underpins everything the company does:
- Your CEO and leadership team embody the core essence in all activities and communications – listening to and valuing opinions from every level of the company.
- Your sales and marketing people use key words that represent the company essence to attract the right customers who are most likely to buy and value your services from the outset,
- Your HR team include your company essence in the recruitment process and training programmes, making sure that all employees are aligned and believe in what you are doing
- Your R & D team create new products and services that align with your essence so that every employee believes in them and customers see them as being yours.
What can you do today to capture, articulate and communicate the true core essence of your company in order to be sure of a more sustainable future?
Richard Flewitt
An insightful approach
to Brand Essence &
leadership
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