How Social Media Changes Branding

I was listening to an excellent video by the president of Zappo's Tony Hsieh and he was making so many valid points around branding yourself online that I felt I just had to share.

Tony's definition of brand is unique, yet totally valid as the marketing industry changes with the advent of social media. Social media as changed things in many far reaching ways that are not always clear yet. One of the most important changes are that the power of choice has very much gone back to the people of the world, your audience. Through the power of social media 'the people' can rank, rate and recommend the businesses they encounter online or in the real world, this power has gained so much momentum that a small comment on social media can result in a run on a bank, a business losing sales through a bad critique or even businesses ending up in bankruptcy if a boycott gathers momentum.

How have you changed your ideas about branding to suit? Tony H says that brand is just "a lagging indictator of the companies culture", as your brand is no longer 100% in your control, it is at least partially in the control of the people of the world. The changes every business needs to make to keep up with this is to be sure to get the culture of your business right and the branding will reflect that. He uses the example of an airline which is publicly known for its apathetic attitude and lack of service - this is not how they set out to brand themselves, but that culture is how they are branded and that is what is passed on via comment on and offline by the people of the world.

Tony recommends "getting your culture right" by defining your number 1 priority for being in business, he also recommends that you define this yourself rather than get your marketing people to write it for you. This is your vision and your mission statements and he defines these as having core committable values, not just marketing values - with a stress on the word 'committable'. He says "chase the vision - not the money" and goes on to say that what makes a company great is a company with a higher purpose that comes from within the core of that company and combines the values of 'pleasure, passion and purpose' for that companies founders.

He also says that those leading lives with a higher purpose are those leading the happiest lives and are the best companies to work for and these are the companies who will grow despite any downturn in the economy. Having those core values basically makes a business recession proof and Tony recommends that companies who want to be recession proof do research on the signs of happiness and use them to evaluate their companies bottom line.

To that end I have found a great list of the signs of happiness and will attempt to change it to relate to business and branding for you:

1. You Live Your Life With Integrity
Your Business is Done with Integrity Every Day and Becomes Known for It

To do this a business needs a set of values it does business by, every person working in and on that business needs to know about the core values and also do business with and for you in line with those values. In face Tony says your core values must be so ingrained in your company that you would hire and fire according to those values. Your first step is to figure out the core values of your company, by asking; what do you believe in and what do you stand for? Figure out what is important and do business accordingly.

2. You Have Embraced Living in the Moment
Your Company Does Business in the Here and Now

A business that lives by this sign of happiness is one that is aware of trends and opportunities in the here and now, it does not worry itself about what happened in the past other than to learn and move forward with new awareness, it does not repeat mistakes and is constantly evolving. Businesses that do business this way are also very aware of the effect of there day to day on their emplyees and make room for enjoyment in each and every day.

3. Express Gratitude Regularly
Your Company Shows Gratitude in both Public and Private Ways

This is not about a grandstanding gesture for public viewing, it is about your company being grateful for its employees, grateful to the companies you do business with and even grateful for your competition and showing that in private and public ways. Does your business only contact an emplyee or a customer when something is wrong or you want to sell them something? or do you compliment your employees regularly for the work they do for you? Do you honor your loyal customers out of the blue with some small benefit or just a thank you card to let them know you are grateful for their return custom? Businesses who do this engender loyalty and word of mouth recommendations that help them to grow.

4. Your Work Satisfies You
Your Business Needs to Reflect Your Passions

Doing what you love and turning that into a business is the most satisfying thing you can do to earn a living. When you do business doing what you lvoe you never have to worry about feeling motivated, or surviving the down times, your excitement levels never lag just because you love doing what you are doing so much you would do it for free. “The more meaningfully we’re engaged and the more we believe that what we’re doing is meaningful, the more happy we are,” says David Mensink, a psychologist with the student counseling centre at Dalhousie University

5. You Enjoy Harmonious Relationships
Your Business Creates and Maintains Great Relationships with its Employees, Customers, Suppliers and even the Competition

Your business ethics and values need to reflect the respect you have for every person and company involved with yours every day.

6. You Keep Your Inner Critic on 'Mute'
Your Business Keeps All Eyes and Minds on the Vision and Mission7. You Aren't Afraid of Change
Your Business Responds and Evolves to Changes in Trends and Business Practices

Staying up to date is just good business, this means listening to what is happening in the market place and to what your customers and audience is saying about your business and your niche. John F. Kennedy said: “Change is the law of life. And those who look only to the past or present are certain to miss the future.”

8. You Enjoy the Simple Things
Your Business Makes Time For Fun and to Celebrate

It only needs to be a small occasion, yet celbrating those small successes paves the way for larger ones, it allows everyone to know you are on track and it allows everyone to become involved with the growth of the company. Happiness is contagious and the happier everyone involved is the better. Great campaigns have been built on a celebration for a companies success and this can be a way for a company to give back to its customers too.

One company I know of has a weekly 'Awesomeness Report" that is collated from every employee at the end of each week, they are asked for a summary of their successes from their time in and out of work and this is published via email to every employee celebrating the small and large successes in the lives of everyone. (That has to be one of the best ideas I have ever heard of!) Think of the movie 'Legally Blonde 2' where Elle introduced the idea of the 'Snap Cup'..

9. You Give Back
Your Company Actively Seeks Ways to Add Value

Giving and sharing is great PR for any company, adding value is a requirement of any company that expects to achieve its goals. Remember giving always comes back to the giver ten-fold, whether you are a company known for giving back to the community, to your employees or to your customers or all three - giving and adding value can only increase the happiness of the company and the culture of your brand.

10. You Don't Take Life Too Seriously
Your Business Isn't Only About the Serious Stuff

This is where corporations can take a leaf out of some of the most innovative companies in the world. Innovation and inspiration come from making life fun and fun and happiness can help put things in perspective. Make sure your company is filled with laughter daily. Go take a look at Google's offices and you will get the idea that they value creativity and innovation. In fact Steve Jobs from Apple says this, "Here's to the crazy ones, the misfits, the rebels, the troublemakers, the round pegs in the square holes... the ones who see things differently -- they're not fond of rules... You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them, but the only thing you can't do is ignore them because they change things... they push the human race forward, and while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius, because the ones who are crazy enough to think that they can change the world, are the ones who do."