36 Live your brand values

36

LIVE YOUR BRAND VALUES

You’ve got a book about branding in your hands, so you’re either working on one, studying, or planning to set up a new organisation. If you already own a brand or you work for one, then you’re not just part of it, you represent it to the outside world.

There’s a well known beauty brand that praises natural beauty; the idea was developed by someone who prefers Botox herself. A case of do what I say, not what I do. Its customers might feel let down if they knew.

The idea Ecotricity is a sustainable power company in the UK. It invests profi ts into sustainable energy sources like wind turbines and have their own eco forest near their Gloucestershire turbine at Lynch Knoll. They have partnerships with other green organisations to strengthen their brand, and carry out constructive projects. So you might be surprised to hear that their MD and founder Dale Vince, drives a 170 mph sports car to work.

However, the Nemesis is an electric car, powered by sustainable electricity. (Technically, you can only be sure that your energy is sustainable if you disconnect from the National Grid, “going offgrid”, but Ecotricity supply the wind-power to the grid, then use some for the car.) Dale uses it to show that there is an exciting future in sustainable energy, and to turn heads. It is an astoundingly

beautiful and expensive vehicle, and it makes his point. Green cars don’t have to be ugly, slow and dull.

In practice • Look at what your brand stands for and see how you can apply it to yourself. If they don’t fi t the way you like to live, fi nd – or create – a brand that does. • If someone says to you, “You don’t seem like the kind of person who would...” ask why. Our own view of our identity is often completely different other people’s, as Robert Burns wrote in his poem To A Louse: “O would some power the giftie gie us to see ourselves as others see us.” • Bear in mind that whenever and wherever you are representing your brand, you are part of something bigger.