Robin Williams earnestly said, in the movie Good Will Hunting, “You will have bad times, but they will always wake you up to the stuff you weren’t paying attention to.” Behind the laughs and witticism attributed to the critically acclaimed comedian, there is often a grain of truth in every joke.
Around the world, we have seen the boycott of big brands, significant changes in leadership and the joining of global networks in the face of diversity and justice. In this new world where a brand is no longer just its label, its price point, the prestige of its origin or who has produced it, one is reminded of purpose over profit, and people over pace.
With evolving demographic phenomena, macro-economic influences and innovative technologies, your business, driven with the ultimate understanding of higher value, has the power to guide consumer choice and transform how consumers interact with your brand.
“How does one do this?” you may ask. Living in a time where marketing technology is moving swiftly, and consumer interests and behaviours are based more on belief systems than fads, the only power is to make a difference, and the difference starts at home.
The shifting relationship between employee and employer has led to the increasing necessity to exceed brands’ existing levels of internal employee relations through the purpose-driven business model. With this comes a renewed focus on employee wellness, where employers can play a key role in helping employees set a healthy pace of work leading to higher productivity.
As consumers are becoming more conscious of the products and services they acquire, so are employees becoming more conscious of the companies they choose to work for. If businesses have any intention of remaining competitive in the current landscape, then the internal entrenchment of the vision and beliefs of the company’s brand purpose is critical.
The best way to ensure that your company cannot be duplicated, in services, skills and people, while matching your promise of customer experience, is without a doubt to have a human-centric objective to increasing your bottom line.
As Robin Williams pointed out – this difficult time will highlight the stuff you haven’t been paying attention to, so allow yourself to wake up to it and thrive in the new normal.
By Cayleigh Zambonini
