Retail Observer

RETAILOBSERVER.COM JANUARY 2019 28 Steven Morris On Brand M y background as a designer and innovator trained me in the creation of beautiful things, and as an entrepreneur and consultant for 25+ years I help leaders evolve their brands and businesses from the inside out. More specifically, I help them mine, capture, and harness their most deeply held beliefs, and build a language, story, and imagery that will be infused into their culture and express their brand to the outside world. It has been my experience that a company's brand, customer service, and culture are inextricably connected. What a business believes–its purpose and vision, its promise to its customers and its core values–are what ultimately forms its products, its culture of innovation, and its customer service. Our beliefs cannot help but drive our behaviors. DEFINING THE BEAUTIFUL BRAND Business done right is an intentional, ongoing act of beauty– a creation that aims to move people beyond their current way of seeing, living, and working, into a transcendent state that will enrich their lives. A beautiful brand works with the power of possibilities and moves people–both cultures and customers–into a new and better future. By beauty, I don't mean the westernized beauty industry's definition which is primarily focused on superficial physical adornment. Rather my definition of beauty means the thoughtful, creative approach that stems from the Japanese definition which includes strength, continuation, symmetry, and human creations that act with and are aligned with the laws of nature. By this definition of a beautiful brand, an organization operates as an innovative, service-oriented, ever- curious entity. We are born as creative beings. Entrepreneurship and leadership (purposeful acts of business creation) are powerful, commerce-driven avenues of human work. All creative, innovative, artistic acts begin with clear intentionality–a purpose or intent that ignites a drive for creative expression and a design to put that expression out into the world. In this creation process, true leaders intend, create, refine and put forward their business as valuable offerings to their customers' world. In turn, their customers respond with deep attention. And it's here, in these intentional acts of beauty, that the business leader becomes a maker, craftsman, and creator of beauty for the world to enjoy and benefit by. Most, if not all, of the world's most valuable brands, including Google, Apple, Disney, and Amazon, have a clearly defined purpose and their own magnetism. These great brands all have a big vision at their center. However, a beautiful brand isn't reserved for the world's largest companies. Products and services that are built on the core tenets of holistic beauty can be created by any company. THREE PILLARS OF A BEAUTIFUL BRAND • Belonging–We humans are born ready to connect. From the moment we emerge into the world, we want and need a sense of connection to others. It's a basic urge that can show up in our work and our brands, through alignment with our values. The more a company understands and publicizes its beliefs and values, the more likely that it will be able to attract the right people— employees and customers—who hold similar values. This is what creates a sense of belonging. When a customer understands what your company believes and feels aligned with your beliefs, you may have gained a loyal customer for life who'll sing your praises for as long as you live up to your promises. S T E V E N M O R R I S R E C E N T LY G A V E A T E D X TA L K , " T H E B E A U T I F U L B U S I N E S S ," T H AT F U S E D T H E J A PA N E S E T E N E T S O F B E A U T Y W I T H H I S O B S E R V AT I O N S O N H O W S O M E O F T H E W O R L D ' S M O S T S U C C E S S F U L C O M PA N I E S O P E R AT E . BUILDING A BEAUTIFUL BRAND

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