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Jared Henriques

Brand pillars

Brand pillars: actionable phrases that guide your brand's behaviour

Brand Pillars are the fundamental beliefs and behaviours that support your brand identity and guide your operations. Crucially, they should be expressed as memorable phrases, not single words. These phrases serve as a bridge between your abstract brand identity and your concrete day-to-day operations, providing clear, actionable guidance for your team.

Why phrases matter

Using phrases instead of single words for your Brand Pillars is vital because:

  1. Clarity: Phrases provide context and reduce ambiguity, leaving less room for misinterpretation.
  2. Actionability: They often imply or directly state an action, making them easier to implement.
  3. Memorability: Phrases are more likely to stick in people's minds and be repeated.
  4. Accountability: Clear phrases make it easier to hold the team accountable to these principles.

Defining your brand pillars

When crafting your Brand Pillars, aim for phrases that:

  1. Reflect your core beliefs about how to operate in the tech industry
  2. Guide behaviour and decision-making across all levels of your organization
  3. Support your Brand Promise and exemplify your Brand Traits
  4. Are memorable and easy to invoke in daily situations
  5. Inspire and motivate your team

Aim for 3-5 pillars that capture the essence of how your brand behaves and makes decisions.

Tech industry considerations

For tech companies, consider pillars that address:

  • Rapid innovation while maintaining quality: "Move fast without breaking things"
  • User-centric design: "Always walk in the user's shoes"
  • Data responsibility: "Protect data like it's your own"
  • Continuous learning: "Stay curious, stay ahead"
  • Ethical technology use: "Tech for good, always"

exercise

Crafting your pillar phrases

Engage your team in this exercise:

  1. List behaviours and decisions that have led to your biggest successes
  2. Identify the underlying principles behind these behaviours
  3. Craft these principles into clear, actionable phrases
  4. Test each phrase by asking, "How would this guide decision-making in various scenarios?"
  5. Refine the phrases until you have 3-5 strong, memorable pillars

Remember, your pillars should be specific enough to guide behaviour but flexible enough to apply across various situations.

Implementing brand pillars

Once defined, your Brand Pillars should influence:

  • Product development discussions: "Are we building for the long term here?"
  • Customer service training: "How can we show we're leading with listening in this situation?"
  • Team meetings: "Let's start by sharing something we're proud of in our work."
  • Strategic planning: "Where's the opportunity in the uncertainty we're facing?"

By consistently referencing and upholding your Brand Pillars, you create a strong, cohesive culture that stands out in the tech landscape. These phrases become rallying cries that guide your team through complex decisions, drive innovation, and build lasting relationships with customers.