Talking with some former colleagues from over a decade ago and I was pleasantly surprised when they independently reminded me of a short phrase I used, “It Just Works.” We were involved in human factors engineering for the truck instrument cluster, in computer displays, in automated vehicles, and in diagnostics. My statement was intended to focus everyone on Keeping It Seriously Simple (KISS) so that everyone could understand it AND it did not break.
Short phrases that are actionable, and in line with your core and brand values, go a long way to developing and implementing the positive culture you want in your company. It might start with a story from early in the life of the company, even if it is over a hundred years in operation. It might come from a marketing campaign. It might come from the janitor or a customer. Consider these:
- Challenge the norm (Volvo)
- Exactly as promised (FedEx “When it absolutely, positively has to be there overnight)
- Imagine better (Disney/Warner Brothers Discovery)
- Make it happen (Royal Bank of Scotland RBS)
- Works like magic (Apple)
- Count on us (Ryder)
- We try harder (Avis)
Whether we are talking short phrases, brand values, or core values, it’s a good idea to expand upon those with a short paragraph of a few sentences or to refer to a story that embodies that particular thought. It’s well proven that people remember and internalize stories better than reading a text book of facts.
Tag lines, brand values, and core values should not be stagnant. They change as the leadership changes, as the company grows, as trends change. UPS has been around for over a hundred years and has had seven taglines for marketing.
- Safe, Swift, Sure
- The Delivery System for Stores of Quality
- Moving at the Speed of Business
- What Can Brown Do For You?
- We ❤️ Logistics
- United Problem Solvers
- Moving Our World Forward by Delivering What Matters
Reinvigorate your company by reviewing and updating your core values, brand values and marketing tagline.
Opportunities
- Brand and Core Values Training using The ReWild Group materials
- August 7, 8AM to Noon at the Tualatin Country Club
- Navigate to a Business that Runs withOUT You
- Limited to 14 people. Register on EventBrite: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/navigate-to-a-business-that-runs-without-you-tickets-1993773048860?aff=oddtdtcreator&keep_tld=true
Quotes
Peel the Onion with Humility to Develop Trust
ai is creating fearful status quo-ers
DIY is my biggest competitor
Books
Framemaking: Sell More by Boosting Customer Confidence Karl Schmidt and Brent Adamson (who also wrote The Challenger Sale with Matthew Dixson)
Never Split the Difference by Chris Voss and Tahl Ray
Give and Take by Adam Grant
