A company without a heart and a soul

Scott Bedbury in A New Brand World:

“To their credit, the Portland, Oregon-based creative powerhouse Wieden & Kennedy—which has kept a relationship with Nike since the agency opened its door in 1981—had sought in vain to find something deeper within Microsoft that would resonate with the world, not unlike what they had accomplished for Nike. They tried to define something in the brand that was more meaningful to people than mere software, but they came up empty-handed. Even the best advertising cannot create something that is not there. If a company lacks soul or heart, if it doesn’t understand the concept of “brand,” or if it is disconnected from the world around it, there is little chance that its marketing will resonate deeply with anyone. It’s a lot like putting lipstick on a pig.”

A company needs a heart and a soul.

Without it, you can’t make good decisions, and you can’t connect with other people.