Part III
Principles Of Doing Business with Integrity
"I think that the most important thing is to have principles. Whether it's in business or in life. You have to know what your principles are and have the courage to be consistent with them."
This manifesto is built on a vital truth: the success and meaning of a business are rooted in its principles.
These principles go beyond mere ethical guidelines. They are the foundation of lasting, impactful brands.
They guide us through the ever-changing business landscape and shape our decision-making process. Strong principles provide a business with a definitive direction, elevating it above short-term gain and personal biases.
Principle #1
There’s Wisdom In Loving People
The heart of a successful business today lies in truly loving and respecting your customers.
This goes beyond mere customer service; it’s about understanding and valuing your customers so deeply that your brand resonates with them on a personal level.
They might not realize why, but your brand should evoke feelings and connections that make them see themselves as part of your story even before they make a purchase.
Creating such a connection requires sincere effort and commitment.
It’s a path meant for those who are genuinely passionate about their mission and their customers' well-being.
Ask yourself, are you fully invested in the success of those you serve?
If so, every opportunity to do the work becomes an opportunity to positively impact lives.
Remember, behind every business metric are real individuals with unique needs and desires.
When we focus on serving these individuals with integrity and generosity, financial success then naturally follows as a byproduct of our commitment to genuine service.
Embrace this privilege of serving others.
It’s not just a business strategy, it’s a meaningful way to live and work, create a collective impact and shape the world we aspire to live in.
Introducing The Business with Integrity Framework
This framework was born from my extensive experience and over a million dollars invested in various business programs. It goes beyond mere income generation strategies, focusing on making a positive impact in the world through business practices.
This framework was developed and designed to fulfill a gap in the market for entrepreneurs who aspire to do more than just earn profits.
It’s for those who are driven to make a meaningful difference, whether globally or in their local communities.
It’s an honor to share this short guide, which is more than a set of instructions; it’s a catalyst for change for those who are destined to make a significant impact through their business endeavors.
Principle #2
Win Hearts: Branding That Matters
Effective branding goes beyond mere recognition. It’s about creating emotional resonance with your customers.
Your brand should be an experience, one that reflects your customers’ dreams and aspirations.
Making them feel understood and valued even before their first purchase.
Imagine the connection you feel with a favorite song.
This emotional connection is what your brand should aim to replicate.
It’s about crafting an experience that aligns with your customers’ emotions and values, not just their needs.
In practice, consider a brand like Apple, which has mastered this art.
People don’t just buy Apple products for their functionality; they buy them for the emotional satisfaction they provide.
What owning their products says about you.
Apple’s brand strategy focuses on creating a sense of belonging and innovation, appealing to customers’ aspiration and identity.
One of Apple’s most iconic campaigns, ‘Think Different,’ perfectly encapsulates its brand ethos.
(Image courtesy of Apple, Inc.)
Launched in the late 90s, it wasn’t about the specifications of Apple's products.
Instead, it celebrated the spirit of creativity and innovation, aligning the brand with visionaries, innovators and disruptors.
This campaign marked a pivotal point in Apple’s brand evolution, positioning them not just as a computer company but as a beacon of inspiration.
What I want to point out here is how far we are away from selling personal computers. Microsoft took the approach of selling features, and we all know where that got them in this sector.
We all have deeper reasons why we buy what we buy. Our job as marketers is to identify them and build a compelling narrative for your brand around them. To go a layer deeper, Apple’s product designs also contribute to its brand narrative.
(Image courtesy of Apple, Inc.)
The sleek, minimalist design of their products, from the iPhone to the MacBook, speaks of sophistication and cutting-edge technology.
This design philosophy extends to their user interfaces, known for their intuitiveness and aesthetic appeal.
This attention to design detail reinforces Apple’s brand narrative of delivering not just a product but an experience.
(Image courtesy of Apple, Inc.)
Continuing Apple’s example, imagine if their branding now also emphasized a strong commitment to sustainability, similar to Patagonia's approach. This added dimension could elevate their positioning, showcasing a company that not only innovates but also cares deeply for the planet. Unlocking a whole new market of customers.
Effective positioning places your brand in a unique spot in customers' minds, distinct from competitors.In today's market, you can further achieve this by integrating an impact model into your business strategy.
When done correctly on top of everything we’ve discussed, this approach positions your brand in a ‘category of one,’ where comparisons with competitors become less relevant due to your unique value proposition.
Inspired by concepts from Yanik Silver's
"Evolved Enterprise,"
consider how adding a sustainability or social impact model can enhance your brand's appeal.
This approach not only differentiates your brand but also resonates with increasing environmentally and socially conscious consumers.
If Apple integrated a strong environmental ethos into their branding, mirroring Patagonia’s dedication to environmental responsibility, it could redefine their market position.
This strategy goes beyond selling products; it’s about selling a vision and commitment to a better world.
The ever-charismatic Steve Jobs did this well despite missing this important piece.
(Image credit Marco Grob)
By combining exceptional product design with a commitment to sustainability, a brand can create a powerful narrative that appeals to customers' desire for quality and their aspirations for a better world.
Principle #3
Feel Good: Marketing You’re Proud Of
In the realm of impactful marketing, it's not just about presenting an opportunity to buy; it's about creating a journey of trust and resonance.
This principle underscores the art of shaping your audience's perception and belief in your brand's ethos well before any sales conversation begins.
It's about aligning with the aspirations and values of your audience, ensuring they feel connected and valued from the outset.
Make it clear what problem you solve and how you can help them along the way.
Remember, converting a prospect to a customer often takes time and nurturing.
Think chess, not checkers; strategize with the end in mind, even if you’re able to validate a sales engine that creates sales for you in a short time frame.
Your ultimate business goal should inform every step of your marketing, crafting a consistent narrative through every customer interaction.
View your business as an integrated whole.
Every aspect, from marketing to customer service, interlinks to create the overall experience.
This holistic approach ensures a seamless journey for your customer, reinforcing your core message and achieving your business objectives.
Reflecting on the holistic approach, let's examine Patagonia's "Don't Buy This Jacket" ad campaign.
(Image courtesy of Patagonia, Inc.)
Launched on Black Friday, a day synonymous with consumerism, this campaign took a stand against impulsive purchasing.
Patagonia urged customers to reconsider their need for new products, highlighting the environmental costs.
Urging businesses to make fewer things but higher quality and customers to think twice before they buy.
This bold move exemplified marketing with integrity, prioritizing ecological values over immediate sales while still being extremely strategic.
What’s wild about this campaign is it was a massive success that generated millions in new sales.
Remember this for as long as you’re in business (it will serve you well): “The business that best frames the problem not only captures attention but earns the privilege to solve it.”
Especially if your business is positioned to solve that problem.
Here are a few keys lessons we can draw from the Don’t Buy This Jacket campaign:
1.
Make quality products/ services.
Exceeding expectations with quality products/services builds a strong brand reputation and justifies premium pricing.
2.
Get good at problem framing.
Effectively articulating the problem your product solves establishes your brand as the go-to solution, fostering deep emotional and intellectual connections with the audience.
3.
Lead with bold messaging.
Counterintuitive messages can challenge consumer behavior norms, making a powerful impact and differentiating your brand.
4.
Educate your audience.
Highlighting key issues, like environmental costs, educates consumers and promotes informed decision-making.
5.
Make it a marketing campaign.
Well-planned marketing campaigns, tailored to a specific audience and message, are crucial for increasing brand awareness and driving sales.
Think of a marketing campaign as a coordinated series of steps that include the promotion of a product or service through various marketing channels.
These campaigns are strategically designed to reach a targeted audience with a specific message.
Key elements often include a clear set of objectives, a defined target audience, consistent messaging across different platforms, and creative content tailored to engage an audience in specific actions.
The goal is usually to increase brand awareness, generate leads, drive sales, or improve customer engagement.
Effective campaigns are well planned, executed, and monitored for performance, often leveraging a mix of media channels such as social media, email, SMS, advertising, and public relations.
6.
Create Engagement
Campaigns that spark discussions on broader issues can reinforce the business's role in societal or environmental matters.
All of this, when backed by branding that wins hearts, which we covered in the last principle, makes for a compelling case.
To give you one more compelling example of this, let’s take a look at REI’s #OptOutside campaign.
(Image courtesy of Patagonia, Inc.)
REI’s decision to close all its stores on Black Friday, encouraging employees and customers to spend time outdoors, was a bold stance against the consumerism typically associated with the day.
This campaign resonated deeply with their community, reinforcing REI's commitment to outdoor lifestyles and environmental values.
It demonstrates the effectiveness of aligning marketing efforts with brand values.
By doing so, REI not only distinguished itself from the competition but also fostered a stronger, more loyal customer base.
This approach underscores the principle of "Feel Good: Marketing You’re Proud Of," highlighting the impact of value-driven marketing strategies that go beyond conventional sales tactics.
And check this out. Look at their post-campaign below.
(Image courtesy of Patagonia, Inc.)
The CEO was invited to be on national television, and they received millions of dollars worth of free press.
To say the campaign was a success would be an understatement. That’s why they’ve run it every year since 2015 with no end in sight.
Here are a few key lessons we can draw from the #OptOutside campaign:
1.
Aligning with Your Brand Values:
REI's decision to close on Black Friday aligned perfectly with their brand ethos of enjoying the outdoors and environmental consciousness. This authenticity resonates with their audience.
2.
Standing Out from the Competition:
By going against the norm of Black Friday sales, REI set itself apart in a crowded market, demonstrating a commitment to its values over profits.
3.
Creating a Community Movement:
The campaign didn't just promote a product; it created a movement. Encouraging people to spend time outdoors fostered a sense of community among their customers.
4.
Earning Media Attention:
The unusual nature of the campaign drew significant media attention, showcasing the power of unique marketing strategies in gaining free publicity.
5.
Long-term Customer Loyalty:
By prioritizing values over immediate sales, REI strengthened customer loyalty, proving that ethical marketing can also be profitable.
6.
Replicability and Sustainability:
The campaign's success led to it becoming an annual event, showing the sustainability of value-driven marketing strategies.
Food for thought.
Principle #4
Make Impact: Establishing Your Legacy
In the final principle of this manifesto, we turn our focus to the lasting impact of your business.
Establishing a legacy transcends mere financial success; it's about creating lasting, positive change in the world and in the lives of your customers.
This principle is the culmination of everything we've discussed: loving your customers, crafting a brand that resonates deeply, and marketing with integrity.
To create an enduring legacy, it all starts with having a clear long-term vision.
This is a compelling picture of where you want your business to be in the future.
It's a detailed description of what success looks like, encompassing various aspects of the business, such as culture, products, customer experiences, and market position.
This vivid vision serves as a roadmap and an inspiration, guiding strategic decisions and actions.
For example, the Business with Integrity brand was created intentionally to help founders grow successful, profitable brands that positively impact the world.
Our culture and the people we want to attract can be captured in our core values.
Passionate
We have a deep, unusual passion for what we do.
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TRUSTWORTHY
We appreciate, respect and have faith in one another’s abilities and word.
Generous
We relentlessly give without expectation, and raise the bar in everything we do.
INTEGRIOUS
We embody honesty, fairness, and transparency in every decision and action.
LEADERS
Be confident in taking decisive actions knowing that we stand by your side.
COLLECTIVELY RESPONSIBLE
In every success or setback, we stand together, ready to move forward as one.
COMMUNICATIVE
We engage in open dialogue, listening deeply, and speaking candidly.
COLLABORATIVE
We champion collective intelligence to accomplish extraordinary results.
Playful
We believe we function best when we don’t take ourselves too seriously.
These values drive our every decision and are the standard we hold our team, audience and customers to.
Our business model and product offerings are simple, but we’re fanatical about it because it clearly helps us fulfill our mission.
We sell one product called the AI Business Accelerator for impact-driven entrepreneurs who want to grow the type of business this manifesto claims is possible.
Instead of offering several products, our commitment is to make one that has no rival.
We take 30% of our profits and invest it into expanding awareness related to mental health issues through viral media that provide solutions to important issues.
We take the remaining profit we don’t invest into R&D and invest in impact-driven companies with exceptional teams we believe we can make iconic.
That’s it. Short, simple, and compelling.
We obsess about our customer experience, going above and beyond to ensure our customers feel loved and cared for.
We obsess about our customer experience, going above and beyond to ensure our customers feel loved and cared for.
We market hard yet always in alignment with our values and stand behind everything we put out.
If you don’t have a long-term compelling vision, how can you expect yourself, much less your team and customers, to get passionate about what you do?
In closing, I want to leave you with a few more tactical ideas regarding establishing your legacy.
1.
Innovate for Good:
Harness innovation not just for competitive advantage but to address pressing global challenges. This could be through groundbreaking products, services, or new business models that offer solutions to societal issues.
2.
Make Impact:
Focus on initiatives that promote impact, not just in environmental terms but also in terms of social and economic impact. The question to ask yourself is, what cause do you want to be a champion for?
3.
Measure Your Impact:
Establish clear metrics to measure the impact of your initiatives and celebrate with your community. This helps not only quantify your contribution but also continuously improve your strategies.
4.
Build Your Community:
Your legacy is also about the community you build – customers, employees, and partners who share your vision and values. Engaging this community in meaningful ways can amplify your impact and extend your reach.
5.
Be Authenticity and Transparency:
Be genuine in your efforts. Customers value authenticity and can easily discern between genuine commitment and superficial attempts at corporate social responsibility.
6.
Document Your Story:
Share your journey, the challenges, successes, and lessons learned. Sharing your story is a powerful tool that can inspire others, attract like-minded individuals and organizations, and cement your place as a thought leader in your industry.
7.
Embrace A Legacy Mindset:
Finally, cultivate a mindset focused on legacy. This means making decisions not just based on immediate outcomes but considering the long-term effects on future generations and the planet.
By embracing these elements, your business can transcend traditional boundaries and become a force for good, leaving a lasting legacy that inspires others and makes a meaningful difference in the world.
Our
Core Values
At Business With Integrity we are:
Passionate
We have a deep, unusual passion for what we do.
TRUSTWORTHY
We appreciate, respect and have faith in one another’s abilities and word.
Generous
We relentlessly give without expectation, and raise the bar in everything we do.
INTEGRIOUS
We embody honesty, fairness, and transparency in every decision and action.
LEADERS
Be confident in taking decisive actions knowing that we stand by your side.
COLLECTIVELY RESPONSIBLE
In every success or setback, we stand together, ready to move forward as one.
COMMUNICATIVE
We engage in open dialogue, listening deeply, and speaking candidly.
COLLABORATIVE
We champion collective intelligence to accomplish extraordinary results.
Playful
We believe we function best when we don’t take ourselves too seriously.