Healthy Marketing Starts at the Core
Core exercises are an important part of a well-rounded fitness program. The whole body becomes stronger and healthier as muscles become trained to work in harmony. This leads to better balance, stability and reduces the risk of injury.
Forbes: "Why Organizational Health Trumps Everything Else In Business"
In the same way, a strong company culture creates a healthy organization that radiates in alignment with clarity of purpose. When the world’s fifty top businesses were studied over ten years in, Grow: How Ideals Power Growth and Profit, it was found that those focused on a culture of improving people’s lives had a growth rate that tripled their competitors.It's the vision you create, the values you share and the trust you establish that creates a strong culture.
VISION - Change is Now
People want to believe in something better and at the core of human nature is the love of storytelling. Articulating the company vision tells the story of the higher purpose and the reason why they're in business.
“Yesterday is gone. Tomorrow has not yet come. We have only today. Let us begin.” -- Mother Teresa
The urgency to get started is to give time for the vision to grow in the minds of everyone involved (employees, customers, vendors and investors). A company can't "wait and see" what next quarter looks to define where they're headed. Given the accelerating pace of change, you'll need this rock solid anchor to guide decisions down the road.Uncertainty and change are the new norm - and the future of work is being impacted by technology and cultural shifts. A company with shared vision proves resilient by being able to swiftly adapt to the marketplace. This sets the path to success because their marketing messaging will be in authentic alignment with their brand and culture.
VALUES - Standing for Something
There is a consistent and sustained connection between vision and values. The vision defines a company's higher order benefit being brought to the world and the shared values bring together the company culture.
“The value of your company is driven by your company’s values.” -- Howard Schultz, Starbucks CEO
Values extend beyond a company's financial interests. Numbers alone can't be your north star. Setting your sights on values and following through always leads to a highly profitable top and bottom line growth.
Read more: Google's Secret To Attracting The Best Talent In The World
The behavior of leadership role models sets how the company behaves. When employees reflect the company values, the marketing translates as authentic and customers respond accordingly. By setting high standards and creating a culture of excellence, top talent is attracted and the marketplace pays attention -- the foundation of all marketing efforts.
TRUST - Building Community and Commitment
Trust is the core in relationships between employers and employees, between companies and their customers and between entrepreneurs and investors. Connections within a company culture are built through engaging experiences that bring the team together and engenders a shared commitment to each other.Fear of culture change is a natural and powerful force. To overcome this fear, invite people to be a part of the process and bring them along to reach the goal. (In an earlier post, I talked about this as "The Ikea Effect") It's human nature to be more engaged and supportive when involved in the process of making a decision. But when imposed upon them by management or senior leadership they won't be fully committed.People follow those they trust. And when company culture is strengthened through vision, values and trust -- the marketing results are powerful.