Brand culture is the set of symbols, values, and behaviors that reflect a specific company or brand. Consumers prefer to buy brands that match their culture. It is important for brands to understand brand culture because it is the foundation consumers use to make purchasing decisions.
Brand culture is the set of symbols, values and behaviors that reflect a specific company or brand. It is the organizational culture of the business. According to numerous marketing studies, consumers of products prefer to buy brands that possess symbols, values and behaviors that match their culture, values and behaviors.
In short, brand culture is a marketing concept. Not only is it important that corporate branding reflects cultural beliefs to external audiences, it is also imperative that it is reflected in the internal environment as well. In other words, the company’s employees and actions must match the brand culture reflected in the brand itself.
For example, suppose there is a company that recycles ink cartridges and cell phones for non-profit organizations. In return for the organizations sending these items for recycling, the recycling company pays the organization cash. As part of the internal brand, this company also operates with a zero waste initiative.
This means that the company not only encourages recycling and eco-friendliness externally, but also embraces the brand culture internally. In addition to product recycling, the company also recycles or reuses 100% of the materials that enter the door. The employee cafeteria houses coffee cups rather than disposable coffee cups. The kitchen and cafeteria also use metal utensils instead of plastic ones. Employee commitment to the values that the company stands for is strong in this particular business.
Brand culture is how consumers identify with the brand. The images, visuals, symbols and activities that the company uses and participates in make up the brand culture. It is important for brands to understand brand culture because it is the foundation consumers use to make purchasing decisions.
For example, finding the best car to drive is no longer just about the vehicle’s safety features. Now, consumers want to know which brands are building cars using workers who receive a fair wage. Also, they want to know which car is built using the most sustainable processes. Finally, they want to know which cars continue to be environmentally friendly by getting good gas mileage or running on alternative fuel sources.
This goes to show that brand culture really boils down to what the company, product or service means about the company, product or service itself. It’s all about the values that the brand and the company focus on. If the brand lacks the core values that consumers identify with, then it lacks the customer experience that consumers seek from brands.
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