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- Are You Claiming The Right Amount? Gated
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- B CORP
- Bundle and Pricing Options
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- CP Tech 100
- CPERS: COOPER PARRY ENQUIRY RESOLUTION SERVICE
- Creative Tax Reliefs
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- DIVERSITY POLICY
- Early Stage To SME- WHAT OUR CLIENTS SAY
- Ecommerce
- Eddie Latham & PJ Scott – Co-founders, Velocity Commerce
- Education
- EMPLOYMENT TAX
- FAQS
- Financial Reporting
- Find Us
- Flexible ‘Finance Bench’
- Future Events
- Galahad Clark – Founder VivoBarefoot
- GLOBAL TALENT PROGRAMME
- GRADUATES
- HEALTHCARE INSIGHTS
- Helena Hills – Founder & CEO, TrueStart
- HIGH GROWTH LOW DOWN
- Homepage
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- HUB CP – Live Lounge Velocity Snippets
- HUB CP – Rob Law Trunki Snippets
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- HUB CP LOUNGE – PAUL SCHAFFER, PLUM PRODUCTS
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- Impact Beyond Business
- Impact Beyond Business New template
- In Their Words
- In Their Words Retail
- INDIRECT TAX
- Inheritance Tax
- Intellectual Property & Patent Box
- INTERNATIONAL TAX
- Investment Calculator UK
- James Hyde – Founder & CEO, James and James
- Jay Richards & Cat Agostinho – Co-Founders, Imagen
- Justin Harling – CEO, CAE Technology Services
- LANDLORD
- LEGAL STUFF
- Let’s Stop Calling It R&D V2 Gated
- Life at cooper parry
- Lounge Underwear Webcast
- MAKING TAX DIGITAL
- Management Information and Reporting
- MANAGING AGENTS
- Manufacturing Tax and Advisory
- Marketing Thank You
- MID MARKET – WHAT OUR CLIENTS SAY
- Mid-Market
- New Hub CP
- New Hub CP Live Lounge
- Newsletter Form
- Newsletter Thank You
- NFP Webcasts And More
- Not For Profit Audit
- Operational Systems & Technology
- Our People
- Meet the Team
- Meet the Team Retail
- Our People – Big Business
- Our People – Board
- Our People – Business Tax
- Our People – Capital Allowances
- Our People – Corporate Finance
- Our People – CP Innovation
- Our People – Facilities & Wellbeing
- Our People – Leadership
- Our People – Marketing
- Our People – New Business Relationships
- Our People – Not for Profit
- Our People – Outsourcing
- Our People – Partners
- Our People – Pensions
- Our People – Personal Tax
- Our People – Service Charge
- Our People – Tech & High Growth
- Our People – Tech & Platforms
- Our People – Transaction Services
- Our People – Transaction Tax
- Our People – VAT
- Our People – Wealth
- Our People Audit
- Our People Team
- Our Why And Values
- Outsourcing
- OVERSEAS EXPANSION
- Past Events
- Paul Richardson – Executive Chairman, Gymshark
- Paul Turton – CEO, Pact Coffee
- PENSIONS AUDIT
- Personal Tax
- Personal Tax Compliance
- PLACEMENTS
- Preference Centre
- PRIVACY POLICY
- Private Equity Advisory
- PROPERTY AND LANDLORDS
- R&D Capital Allowances
- R&D Newsletter Thank You
- R&D Tax Credits Questionnaire: Are you eligible?
- Raise investment or debt
- Raising Finance
- Read All About It
- Rebelution 2
- Rebelution 2 Top Tips – Cooper Parry Corporate Finance
- Rebelution 2 Top Tips – Cooper Parry IT
- Rebelution 2 Top Tips – Cooper Parry Wealth
- Rebelution 2 Top Tips – CP Futures
- Rebelution 2 Top Tips – VAT & Brexit
- Research & Development Tax Credits
- Research And Development Tax Credits
- RESIDENCE & DOMICILE ADVICE
- Retail
- Retail Advisory
- Retail Tax
- Rob Law MBE – Founder, Trunki
- Scale Up & High Growth
- SECURITY POLICY
- Service Charge
- Service Test
- SETTING UP BUSINESS IN THE UK
- SHARE INCENTIVES AND REWARD
- Share incentives: Annual Reporting
- SHAREHOLDER TAX ADVICE
- Shaun Doak – CEO, React Group Plc
- Small Business
- SNAPSHOT
- Succession Planning
- Supporting start ups
- SUSTAINABILITY
- Tax – What our clients say
- TAX COMPLIANCE SERVICES
- Tax Services
- TAX SETTLEMENTS AND INVESTIGATIONS
- Tech & High Growth
- Tech & High Growth – What our clients say
- TEN STAGES TO INVESTMENT
- TEN STAGES TO SALE
- Test2
- This Is Us
- Tom and Tina Warner – Co-Founders, Warner’s Distillery
- Transaction Deals
- Transaction Services
- Transaction Services – What Our Clients Say
- TRANSACTION TAX
- TRANSFER PRICING
- Trusts and Estates
- UK support for International groups
- VAT SERVICES
- Virtual Bookkeeping
- Virtual FD
- Wealth
- Wealth- What Our Clients Say
- Website How To Guide
- Welcome to the CP Family
- What our clients say
- WORK EXPERIENCE
- XCP Sign Up
- Your Development
- Your Say
- Your Say Contact Us
A new logo, change of font, shift of colour spectrum or cool imagery will never be enough to overhaul a brand.
They are, as brand guru Matt Davies reminded us at our Culture Carnival, merely “a lick of paint”. A “veneer”. Changes that your customers will soon see straight through if there’s no substance behind them.
Now, that’s not to say the visual elements of your brand aren’t important. They’re huge. But only when they’re in cahoots with the rest of the Branding Holy Trinity:
How You Look: The visual branding we’ve mentioned. Your logo, artwork, typefaces and colour schemes.
How You Sound: Your tone of voice. The way you communicate with others verbally and in writing – both externally and internally, too.
How You Roll: Your culture. The unwritten guidelines and energy that shape how you work and how you treat each other. The cause and effect of all the decisions you make.
Your culture is your brand. Use it
Your people are your most important asset. Your culture is your most effective way to attract and retain the very best talent. And that talent shapes your customers’ experiences.
So yeah, culture really is everything.
When you focus on branding your culture, your business will ooze authenticity. It’s a magnet for customers and talent, and we can’t over-egg its importance. There’ll also be consistency across every level, which is vital for creating not only loyal customers – but raving fans.
It’ll help to bring your purpose and values to the surface too. And as they become clear to your external audience, and not just your employees, potential new team members and customers will be able to attach meaning to your brand.
They’ll go from understanding what you do, to understanding your ‘why?’, and your ‘so what?’. And you’ll create a unique brand persona that people can agree with, see themselves in, or fall in love with. And that’s an attraction that runs far deeper than some glossy visuals.
How to make it all happen
Crowdsource
Crowdsourcing ideas from within your business is a powerful way to bring your culture to the surface of your brand. The more people you ask, the richer the diversity of ideas you’ll get in return. And because you’re crowdsourcing internally, those ideas are coming from the people that know all about your culture and the elements that customers love, first-hand.
Sure, you may not be able to use all of them, but court opinions, be judicious and collaborate. Crowdsourcing creates a sense of community. And although it’s not always easy, when you get it right and remind people that their voices are being heard loud and clear, engagement goes through the roof.
Authenticity
Keep it real. If it feels right, if it feels like ‘you’, it almost certainly is. Don’t try and put on a voice, or a disguise. The most powerful brands are ones that sound the same internally and externally. The message may be different. The tone shouldn’t be.
Challenge Everything. Assume Nothing
We all get so close to the coalface at times that it’s different to sift the carbon from the gems. Just because things have always been done one way, doesn’t make it right. Take time to challenge everything. And remember, an assumption is only as good as a guess.
Evolution is ok too
Not all brands need to be re-invented. Find a way to keep the essence of what makes your business or product different.
That’s where your equity is. Protect it like your first born. Move it on for sure, but don’t start over every time.
Think like a customer
Put vanity to one side. If you were your customer, what would you want to see, hear and feel?
Put yourself in their mindset and behave accordingly. Why do your customers choose your brand and your people? Is it because you’re reliable? Disruptive? Innovative? Sustainable? Or simply great value?
Do your research. Create detailed customer personas. Share them with everyone in your business. And tailor everything you do to the place you hold in their heart.
“People don’t buy what you do, they buy why you do it”
Simon Sinek’s 2009 quote has aged gracefully when it comes to brand appeal, because over a decade on, it’s never rung truer.
Authenticity is everything to Millennials and Generation Z. The choices they make and the allegiances they pledge as consumers are offshoots of their own personality and beliefs. So, why should they support your business if you’re not willing to show them what makes you, you?
Create depth beyond your product, harness your culture’s power, and show your audience what you’re made of. In every sense of the term.
If we’ve struck a culture chord and you’d like to swap some ideas – or find out how our electrifying people can slicken and sure-fire your success – get in touch with Ben Eason, our Head of Business Relationships, at bene@cooperparry.com
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