Modeling and nurturing brand culture
Culture as an invaluable, long-term brand driver, Part 3.
This is part 3 of the mini series on modern brand tools. Catch up on part 1 here and part 2 here.
Only a decade ago, culture was something synonymous with society at large or occasionally used in highly specialized HR or management settings. Fast forward to 2022 and its not only a buzzword, it has penetrated brand on multiples levels.
We know it as pop culture, niche culture, brand culture, corporate culture or cultural footprint. One thing all this has in common: Culture is elusive and unexplainable.
When taking the brand perspective, as we are doing in this mini series, culture is something that is always there, even if not consciously designed or nurtured.
What constitutes culture?
Culture is the values, beliefs, customs, goals, behaviors and other products of human work and thought considered as a unit, especially with regard to a particular time or social group.
So culture unites a group of individuals and has a lot to do with behaving a certain way, thinking and believing certain things. That does not necessarily have to be rooted in nationality, religion or political beliefs.
Today we recognize that a single individual can be part of numerous cultures simply for the fact that individuals are complex and multi-faceted. Individuals also evolve, grow and change in a very fluid, unpredictable way.
Another tricky thing about culture is that it is hard to grasp when you’re part of it because for you, you are just behaving in a natural way.