25 Lessons in 25 Years: Part 3/5 – People
In our 25 years of business, we’ve learned a lot. One topic we can’t learn enough about is people. So much of what we do is about people. Marketing is about reaching people, creating ads that will resonate with them to sell them products that will make their lives better in some way. Not only is it our job to relate to the masses, but it’s equally important that we can relate to clients and to each other within our own teams.
As marketers, we’re always searching for insights about humanity and learning new ways to relate. Here are just a few of the things we’ve learned about people.
Just be real. Transparency builds trust. It works better than a concealed agenda–and it feels better, too. Southwest Airlines and McDonald’s have had successful marketing campaigns stemming from this concept.
Diversity makes us resilient. Having employees with a wide array of personalities and skills and a variety of client accounts across different industries makes us stronger. A craft beer strategy can influence a non-profit launch...with a little translation.
Relationships are our most valuable asset. Which is why we’re always cultivating them. Whether it’s in the new business sense, partnership spirit, or about employee retention, relationships are important to us and our business.
Humans are tribal, and tribes are the DNA of culture. We see our job as developing Tribal Intelligence, which is understanding other tribes as best we can (although we will never be natives) and seeing our own tribe with as much clear objectivity as we can (to make it the best community it can be).
Brand begins with culture. A company is defined by its people, and so is its brand. When a business’ “core values” move from being phrases dusted off for the annual meeting to being lived out everyday, a robust brand can start to blossom.
Understanding people is essential and fascinating to us. We hope you enjoyed these lessons! Stay tuned for more!