The Brand (Hippocratic) Oath

There are many reasons why organisations engage brand practitioners. Some do so in the legitimate desire to make and keep authentic promises; some as a band-aid for avoiding underlying weaknesses of the business; and some for no other reason than they think they “should.”

As a brand advocate, at one time or another I have been bought into organisations for all of the above reasons and more often than not I find that brand has become a “dirty” word. With organisations traumatised by unmet expectations and high price tags for little return, I have at times been asked to call my work something else so as not to earn people’s ire.

Which brings me to the point of my blog today. I am making a plea to brand practitioners far and wide, that we adopt a little of the founding principles of medical practitioners and first do no harm.

To accompany my request here is my Brand (Hippocratic) Oath.

“I will first do no harm.

I will remember that at the heart of every brand are people and so I must honour the history and legacy of their work and the brand they have built. If no legacy exists I will respect the purpose and values of the business and it’s people as being central to the brand.

I acknowledge that the organisation as owners of the brand, have much to teach me. I will first observe and learn, then apply only required measures and avoid projecting my services where they will not achieve the desired outcomes.

I will not be ashamed to say “you don’t need me”, nor will I fail to call on colleagues and associates when their skills are more appropriate for the work to be done.

I will be conscious of the fact that I am not just working on a brand but with a whole organisation and that every decision has the potential to impact all areas of the business in good and bad ways.

I will do what I can to help the organisation make promises they can keep and not be a participant in the overstatement of expectations that contributes to the erosion of trust in brands.

And if I stay true to this oath, may I enjoy the thanks of my clients for acting with their best interests at the fore. And further get the opportunity to continue to do this work I love, in the belief that brand has a deep influence and value for all organisations.”

It’s not perfect, but it’s a start!

See you next week.

Michel Hogan is a Brand Advocate. Through her work with Brandology here in Australia and in the United States, she helps organisations recognise who they are and align that with what they do and say, to build more authentic and sustainable brands. She also publishes the Brand thought leadership blog – Brand Alignment.