Express your humanity in your brand by changing “I think, therefore I am” to “I care, therefore I am.”

How do you let the light in?
Express your humanity in your brand by changing “I think, therefore I am” to “I care, therefore I am; I hope, therefore I am; I imagine, therefore I am.”

Being authentic in 2017 means sharing something meaningful about you and your company. It’s that crack of light, of truth, of humanity that reveals who you genuinely are. “What does it mean to be human in the age of intelligent machines?” Asks Thomas Friedman in the New York Times. The answer is all about the heart. According to Dov Seidman C.E.O. of LRN, “It will be all the things that the heart can do,” he explained. “Humans can love, they can have compassion, they can dream.” So with that in mind, how do you let the light in for your brand?

Fake news in a year of upheaval

After a year of “fake” news and disruptive politics what we really need to do is focus on authenticity. Being real and genuine has never been more important. How can business leaders truly express who they are and what their organizations genuinely offer to their key audiences? Check your sources, double check that the content you are creating and sharing is true and that you are contributing to the greater truth.

How do you respond when things don’t go your way?

We all try to do our best, but no matter what we do, something will not go as planned. Most companies can deliver their product and services when things are going right. But the true test of character is how we act when things go wrong. What are your company policies for addressing errors or mistakes? How can you address the needs of clients who are less than fully satisfied? What can you do to go the extra mile?

Artificial intelligence is still, well, artificial.

There’s a great scene in the movie The Bishop’s Wife (one of our favorite Christmas movies) where the professor is telling the Bishop (David Niven) that he has the advantage over the angel (Cary Grant) in winning over his wife (Loretta Young).
The Bishop: “Advantage? Over an angel?”

The Professor: “That's precisely it. He's an angel. Julia is a creature of Earth. She's a woman, Henry, and you are a man. Isn't it beautiful?”

It is beautiful, and in being authentic, being real, you have an advantage over the supreme automation that has dominated our work communications.

Your brand promise is even more important today.

We build brands and refresh brands, and it’s not just about making you “look good.” That’s a given. We can make you look good, but can you live up to the promise of your brand? It’s important to find out who you are and determine what your brand stands for. Then share key elements of your authentic brand and let the light in. 2017 is going to be about finding that promise, standing up for truth, and effectively delivering this to your key audience.

Your brand promise is even more important today.

We build brands and refresh brands, and it’s not just about making you “look good.” That’s a given. We can make you look good, but can you live up to the promise of your brand? It’s important to find out who you are and determine what your brand stands for. Then share key elements of your authentic brand and let the light in. 2017 is going to be about finding that promise, standing up for truth, and effectively delivering this to your key audience.