Do values and culture impact a brand? Do our customers really care about this?

The answer to both questions is absolutely YES. Your company culture is so much more important than it used to be – people are searching for real connection and to be a part of something that they believe in. In a super competitive market, creating an amazing culture enables your tribe to be your greatest competitive advantage.

Yet culture is still so much more than that.

A culture transcends the internal world of a company – it is an individual, team, company, and also customer. This means that it should be consistent across all levels of business.

Culture Creates Community

People are attracted to cultures that they want to be a part of or that resonates with them. As you create a culture within your brand, you will create a rich community – both of customers and internal team members. As humans, we all want to be a part of something, right? We want to belong and so by crafting a distinct culture, you are creating a safe and trusted place for them that fulfills their desire to belong and be a part of something bigger.

Here at CHAR co, we value collaboration and we seek to develop a community that embraces true partnerships. As a team, we are greater than the sum of our parts. We celebrate victories, hold one another accountable for doing the best work possible, and use shared disappointments as a springboard for learning.  

Since culture is actually a real life demonstration of the values that you hold, people who have those same values are inevitably going to be attracted to you. For us, we attract clients who value collaboration and embrace a professional partnership between our businesses. And it is a huge honor and pleasure to work with them!

Culture communicates a lifestyle

Your brand should communicate a lifestyle that is shaped by your culture. There are people who either already embrace that lifestyle or those who desire to. They will both be attracted to your brand because they know that as they interact with your business, they will be stepping into the lifestyle that they yearn for.

Ralph Lauren is an iconic American brand built on a distinct and timeless lifestyle. Creator and visionary, Ralph Lauren is famously quoted as saying ““I am not a fashion person. I am anti-fashion. I am interested in longevity, timelessness, style”.  This approach can be seen in the quality of fabrics selected, designs crafted by his team and the stunning imagery created to showcase the brand. Those who become the tribe of Ralph Lauren are not so much after a beautiful shirt, but more so after how that shirt will make them feel and help them to live out the lifestyle that Ralph Lauren represents.

How to get started

Culture is merely one step in defining your brand story – and we can always help you with that! If you’re not ready to dive into a brand story experience with us, here’s a free tip – ask yourself or your team a few questions to get you thinking about the culture that your brand is embodying and the experience that others are receiving ::

• What are some brands that you admire and why? What is it about your experience with that brand that makes it memorable?
• After a customer leaves your store or buys a product or service from your web site, how do you want them to feel?
• Start with your team – what is their view on your brand’s culture and lifestyle? Do they feel that it is life-giving and something that they love belonging to or is it something that feels a little cold and could use some warmth and connection.
  

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words by heather – coo