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Which comes first — the culture or the brand?
Steelcase WorkSpace Futures
In today’s hyper-connected, ever- flattening world, it’s almost become a question not worth asking.
Coexisting in a chicken/egg, yin-and-yang relationship, an organization’s brand and culture shape and reflect each other in an interconnected system. One doesn’t change without the other; they can only evolve together. And the workplace is where it all happens.
In the symbiotic relationship between brand and culture, brand is the outward manifesta- tion of a company’s DNA and culture is the inward demonstration. The corporate world has been talking about organizational culture for years, but the emergence of brand as a discussion point in the executive suite is relatively new for many organizations. Of course, brand mavens like P&G and Coca-Cola live their brands every day, but at less well-known companies, brand has traditionally been left to the purview of the marketing department. In a competitive marketplace with a multitude of choices, however, organizations are realizing that dif- ferentiation is critical to survival and a strong brand can help cut through the clutter.
Tags: Brand & Culture, Workspace Futures