Build & Inspire
The Power of Branding to Inspire Social Change
How do you communicate and engage with the world around you? With beauty & gentleness or harshness and manipulation? Probably somewhere in between. We all are on a swinging pendulum creeping towards perfection, or our idea of perfection. The more we grow as individuals the more harmonious our external words and actions, are in reflecting our internal states. Therefore the more we refine our internal elements in a beautiful manner then the brighter and more radiant we are able to shine with grace, as individuals or as organizations. Timeout. Now, do you follow me? Sorry for getting all philosophical so early on in the intro, but if your brain isn’t spinning then let’s continue on this literary introspection.
“The more we refine our internal elements in a beautiful manner then the brighter and more radiant we are able to shine with grace”
The same theory of communication applies to brands and corporations. They reflect what they contain in them, and those who respond are attracted to what is put out. Brands speak and propose a call to action and their target market responds in some way thus the brand positions itself in the mind of the individual. Unfortunately, the majority of what you hear and see is consumerism masked as a desire for satisfaction.
The digital landscape has evolved, now corporations and organizations use branding and design to sway and influence large numbers of people in small amounts of time with specifically tailored messages on media platforms.
There’s no doubt it is working. Times Square has become the mecca of consumerism, a thousand neon-lit messages of hedonism flood the circuit boards of the brain every second. So if our internal state is that of desires for wealth and prestige, then the clever marketing schemes with messages of promising wealth will speak to our inner consumer to activate a purchase. Simple right? But consumption is not our purpose, we were built for a much greater end. We have a responsibility in terms of what we put out as well as what we respond to as representatives of our community, cultures, and institutions.
We can elevate our organizations and institutions by using traditional effective methods of design thinking and branding to activate individuals and masses towards a higher purpose. Towards service, generosity, knowledge, and truth. A utopian ideal I know, but one that must be actively pursued as the brand of “Islam” and subsequently “Muslim” has been tarnished by ignorant zealots in the greatest feat of identity theft since the Parent Trap. Except the reality is not as comical. Which is why public officials can slander Muslims at large and rather than it being labeled as hate speech or xenophobia it is regarded as justifiable in the name of national security against outdated barbarians. Through brand theory, we can reclaim the cultural conversation by mastering the art of design and branding to promote our initiatives, activism, businesses and unique concept of beauty our true community embodies.
Let’s put this theory to the test, when I say a word, recognize the first thing that comes to your mind. Starting with: Italy. (Pause)
Most people’s emotional response for this word/country involves pasta, food, fashion, fabrics, and style. A medley of cultural excitement that sparks tourism and travel.
Now let’s try another word: Afghanistan. (Pause)
Does this country which has a rich culinary, textile, poetry and music industry evoke the same excitement? Or does war, corruption, drugs, death, and the Taliban come to the forefront in association with the country.
Let’s try one more, I’ll show you two pictures and you can see what emotional resonance comes from each and how they correlate with your feelings about the subject at large and its ultimate brand positioning.
When examining these two photos, they both tell a starkly contrasted story of the country that is Afghanistan. One celebrates life while the other incites fear. A clear indication of the power branding and design have in sharing authentic stories and crafting messages to evoke a specific emotional response. It is strategically used in business, politics, media and has clear economic and social ramifications.
As the hedonistic cycle continues we remain more and more malnourished internally unless we decide to make a change. Through my travels and experiences, I have met many good-hearted individuals striving to create real social impact for their communities. People from all walks of life finding innovative ways to express themselves through media, fashion, and commerce. A creative renaissance of sorts is bubbling. This is where House of GUL was born, a globally conscious design house based in Portland, Oregon. We use an innovative design thinking approach to branding for organizations trying to create an impact across the globe.
However attractive the corporate brand marketing campaigns and homogenized media programming is, it still does not provide the soulfully nutrient enzyme that the heart needs to become fully human. Only service and truth can do that.
We have to remember first and foremost to be beauty makers in everything we produce (from our words to our events and websites).
You and I both have a responsibility to reclaim the narrative and share our stories and brands with aesthetic excellence, creating the positive impact they deserve. If we fail to contribute our voices, we become complicit with injustice and the identity theft persists. Like brother Mos Def said, “My umi said shine your light on the world, shine your light for the world to see!”
“Ali, (is a) fashion aficionado, visual and framework designer, one of the founders of House of Gül, with a portfolio of amazing impact ventures that could eventually transform the face of human society, and a idea partner in a vision of cultivating people, prayer, and power.” -Mark Gonzales
For more stories from Ummah Wide click our Logo below
Sign up for our Weekly Email Newsletter Here
Follow Ummah Wide: Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Linkedin | Soundcloud
