F*ck, there's another way

Beauty brands no longer advertise with lipstick, but body positivity and no lifestyle brand can do without a statement on sustainability. However, those who fail to recognise the trend towards more purpose as a pure social media phenomenon may now be ruining their future success. German SMEs should also dress warmly - with more attitude towards the signs of the times.

An interview with Mark Strauß, Director Brand & UX Strategy at ONEDOT.

Of course, you always have to ask yourself: Which target group am I communicating with here? But ultimately, an industrial company can only stay at the top of the market with the best employees - and they no longer decide in favour of a company based solely on prestige and salary. The world has changed, new generations are growing up in an environment where everything is constantly being scrutinised and young start-ups are showing them the way: Wait, there's another way! You can also produce more sustainably, offer environmentally friendly business models, live a different corporate culture. If a company doesn't show a clear edge, it is simply failing to communicate people's needs.

Only to a limited extent. I often see that the topic of ‘conveying meaning or showing attitude’ has already arrived in marketing in many companies, but not yet in the management culture. We respect that, but we are already doing a lot of educational work in this area. If a company comes to us and is looking for around 12 IT specialists in one go, then something has often gone wrong beforehand. You have to take a closer look and make suggestions on how to transform the company from the inside so that an attractive, meaningful culture is created that attracts skilled workers. Because the external impact that marketing sells must also be embodied internally by the company.

Purpose must be lived by a company and formulated as a clear attitude. It does not always have to be of a socio-political nature, but also concerns the management culture that creates an appropriate working environment, right down to the way in which products are manufactured or which services are offered. A good example of this is the ‘nu company’, which promises ‘snacking without a guilty conscience’ with sustainable power bars. This credo is therefore reflected in the products, which are produced in an environmentally friendly way, as well as in the human and environmentally friendly corporate culture. That's why they are competing with us in Leipzig for the best skilled labour, and new players on the market are showing conventional companies: ‘Fuck, there are other ways to be successful.’ And the big players have to follow suit, otherwise young generations will move away.

In addition to social and political developments, for example towards greater sustainability, the desire for purpose and the resulting clear attitude runs much deeper. We consumers suffer from constant media bombardment every day. A brand that radiates attitude and meaningfulness acts like a kind of beacon for us: it gives us security and orientation in this stimulus-flooded, constantly redefining environment. The topic of ‘attitude’ fulfils the emotional need to find ‘stability’ in the truest sense of the word. Even if it is the CEO of a company who buys an industrial product - he or she is just as much a human being and subconsciously makes emotional decisions: anyone who demonstrates a consistent attitude in everything they communicate throws us an emotional anchor to pull us out of the media overstimulation.

You can understand it yourself: If I spend 40 or 50 hours a week doing my job, I want that work to have a purpose. As we largely work with machines and touchscreens and no longer see the direct effect of our efforts, it is all the more important to identify with the employer and the day-to-day business through the meaningful elements of our work and a suitable corporate culture. For many B2B companies, this may sound abstract at first, but it is radically important for survival: the consequences of a corporate culture that does not convey a sense of purpose to employees become apparent in the dwindling number of skilled workers. By then it's usually already past the eleventh hour.

Firstly, I am lucky to do what I love and secondly, to work with people who share similar values to me. There is a very informal culture in our agency because we value each other as friends. No-one has to prove anything to anyone else, no-one is putting you down. I can identify with a corporate culture that allows open-hearted conversations and values friendship and family instead of an impersonal elbow mentality. That's why many of our employees have been working here for years; it really is a tight-knit crew.

First of all, the mentality of ‘we've always done it this way’ needs to be discarded. Look at the market, the people you want to address. What environment do they operate in? What attitudes characterise them? As a company, you need to have an answer to these changing times, be a beacon that you can head for - preferably before the innovative potential has dried up due to the exodus of skilled workers or customers. The world will no longer turn backwards, even if it sometimes seems that way.