This year was very special to us. Not only because we celebrated our 1st decade of ‘Narrating the Discussion’ around branding (Thank you!) and that we also launched a podcast (Thank you, again!), but because we saw that we’re heading in the right direction. And, by we, I mean us, you, them – everyone in this industry. The discussions have shifted from purchase to experience, from customer to community, and from tactics to strategies.
Empathy and purpose are timidly making their way up the importance ladder, while culture seems to interest more and more brands by the day. It seems like a good balance is coming in this chaos of brands.
But at what cost? Yes, things are (still too slowly) moving towards “brands with a conscience” but all the years of doing things in the fast lane have taken their toll on all of us. Mental health has been an acute subject in 2021 and all of us should be wary – no matter how good or talented, we’re useless without our minds in place.
So, without further ado, here are the best Brandingmag articles on these prevalent themes:
Brand Culture
Will Working from Home Damage Brand Culture?
by Darren Evans
Brands’ Best Secret? Culture Before Anything. Interview with Andrea Sullivan, CMO, VaynerX
by Radu Dandu
Empathy
The Role of Empathy in Design
by Darren Evans
Compassionate Marketing – How to Show Your Customers Empathy in Times of Crisis
by Thibaud Clément
Mental Health
Understanding and Dealing with Stress in the Design Industry
by Doug Main
From Self-Doubt to Self-Belief – Conquer your Creative Mind
by Alex Normanton
Purpose
Byron Sharp – Brand Purpose and the Tyranny of the Majority
by Nick Liddell
Business Purpose vs Brand Purpose: Why the Difference Matters
by MaryLee Sachs
Purpose Without Proposition Is an Empty Promise
by Ian Stephens
And, if you want to find more on these subjects, you can use our new feature: Perpetuwall. You can find it in the main menu, next to the search icon. Try it!