What if your brand no longer exists tomorrow?
Companies are increasingly getting engaged in reflecting on their role in the world. Have you ever stopped to think if someone would miss your brand if it stopped existing tomorrow?
That’s right, that time has come. It may seem more natural for companies like Google, which has the purpose of organising all the information in the world, or Airbnb, which wants a world in which everyone belongs. However, it doesn’t have to be digital, innovative or disruptive to find its role and create a positive impact.
Crepes & Waffles, founded in 1980 in Bogotá, is a Colombian restaurant chain that was born out of the dream of university students who had the vision to open a business they believed. Since its first location, the brand has not stopped evolving and expanding and, despite not selling typical dishes, has become a national icon. With 84 restaurants in Colombia and 28 around the world, it is a System B company. Certified B Corporations are a new kind of business that balances purpose and profit. They are legally required to consider the impact of their decisions on their workers, customers, suppliers, community, and the environment.
Its history highlights not only the business model but mainly the human side. Founders Beatriz Fernández and Eduardo Macías say, “we wanted to have a company that was admired, not to be the richest, not the biggest, but the most admired for our social responsibility”.
Crepes & Waffles has a policy of privileging women’s employment, supporting mothers who are heads of families, and at least 10% of those hired are those who are generally rejected in most jobs, whether because of lack of experience, disability or because they have already been involved in drug trafficking, which is common in the country. They believe it is better to have people with attitude than ability.
However, purpose does not necessarily have to have a social character. One of the ways companies understand their purpose is to ask themselves “if my brand no longer exists, who would miss it, and why”. It is the result of the intersection between the strength of the company and what the world needs.
Crepes & Waffles, despite the low investment in marketing, has won the hearts of customers with different economic conditions who believe in its value proposition. Both customers and employees would miss not only a good crepe at an affordable value but to relate to a brand that believes in people, regardless of their past.
After years of working with people, brands and purposes, the good news is that we realise that all companies have the potential to connect with their mission and incorporate them into their organisational culture. It is not necessarily an easy process, but once realised, it is easier to promote a value offer to the market, because a precise positioning allows the institution to transmit confidence in what it offers, thus creating a closer relationship with its customers and a competitive differential.
By generating good results both for yourself and for the world, you can be sure that if your brand or organisation ceases to exist, not only your customers but also all stakeholders will feel the impact of your absence.
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Learn more:
Dream Facilitation
Dream Facilitation is a company that empowers individuals and organisations to put their purpose into action. Through personalised consultancy, workshops and lectures, we offer the tools and support needed to turn ideas into reality and develop purpose-driven projects and businesses.
Crepes & Waffles
B Corps:
