A strong identity is a company’s most important asset along with its people who communicate and develop relationships as brand ambassadors and communicate the brand to stakeholders, suppliers and customers. A strong identity works externally and internally, as a shorthand of trust and confidence in a company and its products in a rapidly changing environment and context.
It is the root, the soul, the DNA of the brand and is the reason why brands with strong identities increase their numbers of loyal, committed and engaged clients who act as advocates and promoters of the brand AT NO COST TO THE COMPANY!!! Think Apple, Google, Nike, IKEA and BMW. These are brands with a strong belief, a compelling, believable and authentic offer as well as a set of consistent values which resonate with consumers and employees needs and aspirations.
In these days of mass production and consumption in a world dominated by globalisation, the pressure is on for companies to confront and act upon the fact that there is a mounting price to pay for their success, both in terms of cost and impact on the environment. Companies that focus on acknowledging and incorporating their social responsibility as part of their business strategy are going to stand out in purchasers eyes as they increasingly ask the questions that matter: who made this product/service? where did it come from? at what cost to the environment?
The recent announcement that Dubai has launched a bid to become a centre for trading greenhouse gas emissions permits, diving into a fast growing market and the potential to turn the region’s sizeable carbon footprint into cash is a harbinger of the times. For example, EcoSecurities recently registered a project in Qatar to cut gas flaring at the Al-Shaheen oilfield. The project aims to cut emissions by some 2 million tonnes of carbon dioxide per year, implying carbon offsets revenues of around $40.37 million annually. (source: Arabian Business.com).
Tesco, The UK’s largest supermarket chain plans to introduce carbon footprint labels on all 70,000 products it sells to allow customers to compare carbon impacts. Timberland are placing a "nutritional label" on each shoe box, educating consumers about the product they are purchasing, including where it was manufactured, how it was produced and what effect it has on the environment. Nice touch: messaging inside the box asks customers "what kind of footprint will you leave?" and provides a call to action for them after purchase. (source: Trendwatching.com).
Companies need to address their core values as part of the examination of their identity, along with their vision and mission. Are they in synch with the times, both now and in the future? Or are they still transaction-led when they should be relationship-led? There are may examples of companies which have embraced the ethos of standing for something that is at the same time campaignable, believable and authentic - Sharq Village and Spa in Doha is probably the most recent notable example, setting a trend in the hospitality industry for honouring local heritage and tradition with elegance and impeccable surroundings. Here’s a company whose identity is encapsulated in its environment and the experience that you receive being there –talk about “walking the talk”!
Finding your own true voice and identity which stands for something authentic and meaningful and is campaignable, believable and above all, real and honest – this is the way forward and leading companies who are already representing Qatar globally have embraced this fact and the rest must follow their lead. |
