theTeam.

Thank goodness we have stopped being professional

By Peter Mills 12 Oct 2011.
0 comments

I love words, me. The more you know the less you know and my interpretation of a word is, well, just that.

I was reminded of this several times over the last few months as we have been working with clients turning to their brands to help them met the challenges of ambitious business strategies, reposition themselves and get the attention (and funding) they deserve, especially in the third sector.

What I think a word or phrase means may be the complete opposite of someone else’s understanding. Take ‘stand by’ for example. In research groups recently some participants thought ‘stand by’ was a good thing: embracing someone, supporting them, acting as their confidant, being on their side, being warm. Others saw it as passive, literally standing at the side, not alongside, waiting, not being active, being cold.

Coming up with the words that make up brand models is no mean feat, especially when we are confronted by the usual professional, innovative, passionate malarkey. But there is a change in the air. A lot of folk now appreciate that these are hygiene factors of any business, the things often written into or implied in job specifications and employment contracts.

There are a couple of other problems with the hygiene words. First, they are often used to try and overcome a culture which doesn’t exist, or does exist, but doesn’t shine. Worse, they are an outright admittance that there is something wrong in the organisation. How many brands have ‘working together’ in their model?

And secondly, they are aren’t quantifiable. One person’s professional is another’s less than professional. It’s all about appropriateness and if brand models are to guide behaviours and ultimately customer experience then the usual suspects need to be shot and much more inspiring, interesting ones brought into play.

The new words on the block are interesting, adding to the distinctiveness of the brand and generating real excitement beyond the branding team and the board.

Stop being professional, I say, and start being interesting.

Photo credit: Chris Blakeley