The future is conscious
The business world is being rapidly reshaped. Conscious Brands® will lead the way.
As a society, our value system is changing. Education levels have risen, and global awareness of life options and possibilities has soared. We are becoming a much more conscious society, we are shifting from materialistic influences to others-centred influences, and our expectations of business have changed. This shift in business values is described in a Fast Company article published in April 2020:
‘The social contract that applies to capitalism has been rewritten. Creating value for Shareholders at the expense of everything else will seem radically out of touch. Creating value for the world now seems the only viable things to do. This is going to force investors, leaders, and product, marketing and operations teams to reconsider what they do and how they do it, and how they can be part of the epic reconstruction, or risk being irrelevant.’
We have the opportunity to create something better
We live in a time where we have never been more connected, inspired and empowered. But we have enormous issues facing us as a society and business is now expected to play a part in the solution. Executives from the world’s largest companies have affirmed the power of having a purpose over profit in driving innovation, customer loyalty, differentiation, employee morale, recruitment, productivity and organisational agility. A Conscious Brand does this by actively endeavouring to become more aware, awake and intentional in its leadership, culture, strategies, communications and marketing. The outcomes of companies beginning to measure their success beyond size and profit is an exciting time for us all to be living in.
Self-awareness is now vital for businesses and brands
Without self-awareness, businesses will struggle to rise to the challenge. In the wake of the disruption of 2020, Conscious Brands® will preserve the trust required to lead business towards a new future where harmony, equality, sustainability, integrity, diversity and inclusion, dignity and respect are unquestionable.
We have defined 6 key indicators of a Conscious Brand:
Higher Purpose
Conscious Brands bare their soul. They dare to dream how the world could be. There is an element of modern life that matters to them and that they want to change. They make people feel something, and people want to be a part of that change. Harnessing a shared purpose connects, unifies and mobilises others around a common goal, which is the foundation for creating real change.
Purpose-driven Strategy
A Conscious Brand is driven and guided by its purpose. All strategies, ideas, and tactics stem from the purpose of the organisation, its ‘seed’. A purpose-driven strategy can be described as ‘one that refers to its purpose to drive, integrate and evaluate everything the organisation does in order to ensure it creates its desired future.’
Conscious Communication
Conscious Communication is about ensuring that all company and brand communications are aligned with the company’s purpose and focus on positive and intrinsic values. This approach creates highly effective communications and builds brand trust. Promotion becomes simpler, more focused, less time-consuming and less costly. Rather than being a squeaky wheel, a Conscious Brand earns attention. Through this, existing customers become long term and likely to also become your advocates and new business is more likely to come through word of mouth and reputation. With this approach, the communications are also working to reinforce positive values in society as a whole.
Intrinsically Engaged People
The old model for employee engagement rested mostly on extrinsic motivators – like money, bonuses, benefits and titles. Today, it has been proven that people are more motivated by intrinsic value and meaning in their work. Conscious Leaders see themselves as the critical bridge between employees and the purpose they seek. These leaders are thoughtful in their approach, driving the strategy from a place of purpose, and bringing it to life throughout the organisation, creating intrinsically engaged teams who bring belief, energy, positivity and innovation. A brand that has been built from the inside out must start with its people.
Empathetically Connected Customers
When customers genuinely feel understood and appreciated, their loyalty and advocacy will be strong. At a company level, this requires a culture of understanding customers at their core and genuinely wanting the best for them, and a drive to deliver value how and when customers really want it. Often this is taken to a deeper level, with companies looking to have a positive influence on customers and actively encouraging intrinsic values within them. As a result, an intense emotional bond develops, where the customer can see the direct improvement in their life and the progress of people and society as a whole.
Agile and Responsive
The modern world is ‘always-on’ with change being more dynamic each day. Conscious Brands are able to use their vivid goal and their defined purpose as a framework for change and direction. This framework empowers entire teams at every level to make the right decisions as everyone now has a benchmark to compare against. Innovation becomes faster because teams are more motivated and are only restrained by a clear purpose. Being agile, Conscious Brands are able to stay true to their purpose and values while transforming to adapt to changing market demands and customer expectations.
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