What does it mean to be “on brand?” At its core, it simply means aligning to your values. Whether that is visually, verbally, or even better, in actions taken. The best companies are rarely off-brand.
Consider Patagonia. It passes everything through an earth-focused, sustainable lens. From dedicating 1% of its profits to environmental causes to its “Worn Wear” program, which promotes buying used Patagonia products instead of new ones.
Now, let’s be real. Not everyone has the vision or impact opportunity of Patagonia, but there is one highly visible and meaningful way to be “on brand” that most organizations miss: how people enter your company and how they leave.
How you treat people in those two phases says EVERYTHING about your brand.
This is a critical area in which every company, of any size, can live out its brand values. It's the opportunity to be fully on brand without influence from revenue targets and spreadsheets. In my opinion, this is one of the best ways to be truly “on brand.”
Building your brand starts inside first.
(I wrote a little more about this in my recent post seen here.)
