New words, old actions

Seth Godin sent out a blog last week – it was short and sweet:

“It’s a lot easier for an organisation to adopt new words than it is to actually change anything.

Real change is uncomfortable. If it’s not feeling that way, you’ve probably just adopted new words.”

I see new words a lot. I get asked to provide them just about as often. Rarely do I see them accompanied by either changes in actions so the new words are true, or new words that reflect the reality of the actions already taking place.

Hidden under the misleading moniker of “rebranding,” new words without either of those things provide nothing more than a sugar hit, a quick energy hit that is inevitably accompanied by a sugar crash as the effects quickly wear off and all that is left are the same issues that were there before.

In the world of brands I inhabit I see a lot of companies with an incurable sweet tooth.

The analogy to diet isn’t as outlandish as it might at first seem. Fuelled by the easy gratification of “new words” (new logo; new campaign; new colours; new look), companies are missing out on the balanced nutrition needed to thrive.

So, next time there is a sugar craving for “new words” try some “protein” instead starting with the actions behind the old words!

See you next week.

Michel Hogan is a Brand Advocate. Through her work with Brandology here in Australia and in the United States, she helps organisations recognise who they are and align that with what they do and say, to build more authentic and sustainable brands. She also publishes the Brand thought leadership blog – Brand Alignment.