Lessons from Peep Show

It may seem a Friday bloggish thing to do, commenting on popular films and tv shows, but I'm going out on a limb to say: "If the theme is right, then comment anyway."

The latest series of Peep Show has covered quite a few topical business issues, not least redundancy and the consequences of office vandalism, but most recently: the importance of good branding.

Now I'm not even remotely suggesting that Peep Show offers a realistic, thought-provoking or debate-worthy insight into any of these topics. But like any good comedy, it does touch upon familiar, real-world scenarios, which is what makes them so funny. So you can see why sometimes when the nerve endings start to jangle, you might want to take a risk and use it for serious comment.

So, branding. The scenario that I'm thinking of is where Mark (the geeky one, for those of you unfamiliar with Peep Show) has been helping his ex-colleague/boss to set up a new consultancy business - operating from his boss' bedroom on a particularly insalubrious housing estate. Being an old-school salesman, his boss doesn't look for much guidance on business matters, simply throwing himself into the project with little thought for the finer details - one of which is the company's business name. Having toyed with 2 not especially imaginative ideas he finally decides to use them both and unbeknownst to Mark, prints up his business cards with both of them on it.

Even for people uninvolved in the branding process, it's apparently obvious why such a gungho approach is not the best route to business success. Partly because it implies little thought, decision-making skills or creativity, but mostly because it leaves your target audience uninspired and confused. If you don't know who you are, then how can you expect someone else to? And if people are unsure in any way about your business, then it reduces the likelihood that they will want to work with you.

While there must be very few businesses out there who would take the Peep Show approach, there will be plenty that struggle with a sense of corporate identity. Perhaps as the result of a merger or acquisition, where different cultures are coming together, or perhaps because they've been trading for so long that a real understanding of who they are and what they stand for has become lost. There's a myriad of reasons why it can happen, but it's a common scenario.

At start-up, most businesses will have a good sense of what they're about. This is largely to do with numbers. If you only employ a handful of people, largely made up of entrepreneurs then business ethos, even if not written down, is a daily and pressing concern. The problem is that if you don't articulate and define your business ethos at this stage then you're far more likely to encounter problems later on.

Assuming that you do take the time to capture your mission and vision statement, settle on the right tone of voice and transcribe your messaging, it's essential that you have processes in place that work to effectively communicate your values through each stage of the business. That means your 5th and your 50th employee should have exactly the same level of understanding about your business. It could be through induction plans, annual workshops or easy access to materials via the company intranet, but whatever you do, it must be consistent, highly visible and easy to understand.

Moreover, those who are involved in the recruitment process should work to identify who are the best fit candidates, in terms of ethos and personality, as well as their core business skills. Likewise, if you're in the process of making an acquisition, ensure that whoever you're acquiring has a good cultural fit with your business.

It may seem an idealistic vision to have everyone 'living the brand', but it's certainly something we should all be aiming for. Consider that your brand isn't just a business name, corporate colours and a strapline, it's not even about the numerous corporate documents that explain in fine detail what your brand represents. Your brand is the way in which your people work and communicate both internally and externally, it's the heart and mind of your business. So do what you can to keep it healthy.