Heather, a brand expert, founded Authentically to allow others to unleash fierce individuality, build success & reach customers online.
getty
Branding is really about belonging and a sense of place. As I dig into indigenous ways of knowing, I am realizing that this need for place is so intrinsic to humankind that it has given way to our contemporary brands. Brands that create belonging engage consumers, sell more and foster an environment where brand loyalty is taken to the extreme. By examining indigenous value on a sense of place, modern brands can learn to create a place for belonging.
Throughout this pandemic, a sense of belonging has been necessary—stripped of social gatherings, forced to isolate and live much of our lives on Zoom. As an entrepreneur, working from home has not been a problem—what has been is the lack of connection. My writing slowed for a time and I went into myself. I started to feel like I was not at home in my house and questioned what, if anything, mattered. It is my search into the wisdom of North American indigenous people that is bringing me alive in a way that I have not experienced before.
Role-Based And Place-Based Identity
When indigenous peoples introduce themselves, the link to where they are from is valued over the roles they play.
For example: In the corporate world, an introduction would look like “My name is Heather. I am an entrepreneur and own a branding and marketing company.” It is tied to a role and what I do. It is a sterile reach for accomplishment, owning and expertise. It is hollow. And for me, it began not to matter.
When I meet with people from my Métis community, the introductions are much different. "I am Heather, and I am Métis and Irish. My family is from Prince Albert, and my ancestors were Swampy Cree from the Hudson Bay Area."
In branding, the limbic system and a sense of belonging are crucial. I have had the opportunity to talk about the power of human connection on the TEDx stage and to write about creating loyal customers through experiential branding and how to build human connections online—yet my sense of belonging and connection has wavered without live connections to people. A sense of self-reflection has been the impetus to uncovering truths I may not have otherwise faced outside of quarantine. I had to ask the same questions I use while researching audiences.
It is the cry of the limbic system: “Where do I belong?”
Until I was 12 years old, I didn't know I was of Métis heritage. Yet, at grandpa's, we went ice fishing, woke up to fresh-baked bannock and donned traditional hand-sewn mittens repurposed from winter jackets. We went canoeing, fished off of the floats on my grandpa's plane and sang songs around the campfire. As an adult with access to blogs, textbooks, books, podcasts, I am still in what feels like the beginning of unearthing all of the knowledge that is passed down from generation to generation. My wild spirit and my connection to my homeland are more deeply rooted.
In contemporary business, choosing to define ourselves by where we are from, instead of what we do, opens the door for a more inclusive business that relaxes the limbic system to say, "you belong here." It could strengthen our personal brands as well as corporate identity. It would, in the end, connect us to each other instead of isolating us.
Patriarchal Vs. Matriarchal Business Structures
When professionals define identity through roles played, the result can be a focus on overwhelm, overwork, exhaustion and dismissal of an intrinsic connection to others. This more patriarchal role is a power-down from the top methodology.
Throughout the pandemic, a more matriarchal business structure has been emerging with a connection to who we are and where we come from over what we can do. This matriarchal structure emphasizes power from within over power from the boss overhead.
Some of the benefits of looking for a sense of place include becoming more aware of:
• What your prospects need. When operations run at light speed, it's easy to forget to check in to see if our corporate offerings are continuing to serve our clientele, and how well. What is their customer experience like? Are there enough price points to serve them? Is our offering flexible enough to adapt to changing business landscapes?
• Your environmental impact. A connection to a sense of place makes way for the examination of our footprint. It allows you to choose more environmentally sustainable practices and products. With pride of place comes respect for the land we operate from.
• Being a values-driven community. A sense of place breeds a sense of value. Power is allowed to radiate from within and companies have the opportunity to capture team values and lead from a sense of community instead of as a cog in the corporate structure. Each person contributes to the community instead of fighting for individual wins.
• Yourself and your career goals. Developing a sense of self according to intrinsic value in contrast to outputs allows professionals to draw boundaries and work toward goals with a kind of self-motivation that is not accessible with a top-down approach.
In limbic branding, we have the opportunity to lean into a sense of place and find where we belong—together. We aren't defined by roles, but by our humanity. Our value isn't derived from the value we bring to the table, but by the humans around that table. Roles come into flow with OKRs and self-motivation instead of waiting for the smackdown of patriarchal people-pleasing and being overwhelmed.
For me, a sense of place is redefining how I think about brand building. I am just on the tip of the iceberg, where I already feel like I can dance in place.
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