Intellect and Inspiration Reimagined: BrandCulture Rebrands

It may seem that lots of things right now are going to the dogs. We’re going to the bees! For as long as there have been human civilizations, there have been bees. And now BrandCulture has adopted these essential pollinators as our symbol in direct homage to their enormous contributions and indefatigable collaboration and teamwork that arguably make them the most essential creatures of life on the planet as we know it.

Archaeological evidence tells us that beekeeping dates back to at least 7000 BC , when ancient Spanish rock paintings were created depicting ancient Spaniards collecting honey.?

In 2400 BC, the ancient Egyptians created the first evidence of domestic beekeeping in the archaeological record—clay pipes made from mud and sticks where bees were encouraged to build their hives.

As human civilization advanced and became more complex, so did our beekeeping methodologies. Today, bees are cultivated on every continent besides icy Antarctica, creating everything from mead to candles to honey dripping from the comb.

But what can this close connection between bees and humans tell us about human civilization and society? And more importantly, what can it tell us about the secrets of building a successful brand?

Shared Purpose: How the Hive Can Inspire Brand Greatness

You’re probably familiar with bee’s infamous waggle dance, a type of communication used to convey the discovery of? a source of nectar, and inspire other bees to head out from the hive in search of sweetness.? It’s not all about the waggle. When you look closer, it turns out that bees are collaborating on every level.?

Some bees are adept at reading body language and making eye contact, whereas others are closely attuned to movement. But all bees are plugged into the communication network created by their own odors, pheromones that enable communication among all the castes that operate within the honeybee hive, queen-workers, worker-workers and queen-drones, as well as intergenerational conversation between adult bees and the brood the queen creates.

This constant flow of communication means that bees are aware of the shifting needs of the hive as they change throughout the seasons, and are able to respond immediately and effectively to any situation that arises. While you probably can’t suss out your company’s well being from Sue in accounting’s new perfume, this model of constant intuitive communication at all levels is the magic ingredient that companies need to thrive in a fast paced digital age.

Too often, communication within large organizations flows from the top down, with C suite level employees creating dictates that the worker bees below must follow. But as in a hive, your organization is at its most effective when everyone is listening, attuned to the shifting needs of your company as they evolve. But it isn’t only communication that matters. Our Culture Framework ?leverages six leverage points that organizations can use to enhance organizational performance: Leadership, Rewards and Recognition, Environment, Structure, Symbolism and yes, Communications. Look in the coming weeks for additional posts that discuss how people and bees alike can benefit from concerted attention and effort in these areas. Ultimately, it means that everyone is following the same North Star, following, if you will, your queen.

Find Your Queen: Why Responsive Leadership Matters

The honeybee queen is subject to something of a smear campaign in popular culture. We think of her as a lazy monarch, popping out eggs and reclining in comfort as she feasts on the labor of her blindly obedient hive.

In reality, the queen is an integral part of the hive, but she is by no means a despotic and selfish leader. Just like a good CEO, the queen is as much a worker and active member of the hive as any drone or lower level employee. In fact, if she slacks, the drones are apt to push her out into the winter weather and barricade the hive behind her, working overtime to raise a new queen from the new generation of larvae on royal jelly. How’s that for a hostile takeover?

Like any good leader, the queen is both the symbol and driver of the hive’s success. Her drones work for her, dependent on her leadership, but they are also her fellow workers. She labors as hard, or harder, than any of them, using resources but also creating them, working tirelessly to birth and support a new generation of citizen workers for her hive.

The bee model of leadership means that workers aren’t working for the queen. Instead, they’re both laboring in the service of an idea.? At BrandCulture, we believe that great brands are great because they’ve successfully asserted ownership to a singular powerful idea that becomes central to their success.?This idea should give customers a reason to buy, and employees a reason to believe. ?Just like the hive, we need a shared sense of self to thrive.?

Building a Frame: How Partnership Helps Create Growth

In the wild, bees creating a new colony need to start from scratch. Working in a hollow log or the crevasse of a dried out tree, they work long, laborious hours creating the structure they need to create a working hive. Many people who cultivate bees are out in front of this process by using foundation, pre-made structures that show bees where to build and allow them to cut down on the busywork and straight to making honey.

Our Brand Platform works for your company the way a foundation works for a hive of wild bees, creating a structure to enable faster and more effective growth. Together, we’ll work to articulate your company’s promise, style, code, organizational calling, highest aspiration and strengths, effectively dreaming up a functional foundation on which you can build your growth, and start pumping out high quality honey.

Success and partnership go hand in hand. With leadership defining and communicating a clear and compelling Shared Purpose , supporting collaboration and creating the framework your brand needs to thrive, your colony of workers will be set up for success. Just ask the bees.?

www.brandculture.com