In 2005, I worked at technology giant, IBM.
A company that knows about longevity and reinventing yourself.
And here's the most important thing I learnt.
In a world where every employee, customer, business partner, and investor can share an opinion about your business, the only way to get comfortable with that, is if everyone is truly grounded in what the company values, and stands for.
Big Blue taught me the importance of building a culture to match your brand.
Former IBM Chief Brand Officer, Jon Iwata, developed a system based on answering 5 fundamental questions:
What it means to look like your company?
What it means to sound like your company?
What it means to think like your company?
What it means to perform like your company?
Ultimately, what it means to be your company?
Every word should be painstakingly chosen. But the real work — and real value — lies in bringing it to life.
As Abraham Lincoln said, “Character is like a tree, reputation is like its shadow.” IBM tended to the health of the tree, rather than manipulate its shadow.
In a world of democratized media, companies and individuals can not lead double lives. There can be no image management without behavior management.
Activating the system takes an outside-in approach.
You go from managing visual identity, messaging, and design – to the behavior & performance of people.
It doesn’t matter if your culture is friendly or competitive, nurturing, or analytical. There is no right type of culture, just as there isn’t one best type of brand.
It’s about building a culture that matches your brand.
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