Lisa Gralnek on brand-based, values-led strategy and growth

See all Greater Than epidsodes here.

• Why getting back to your values and your customers’ values is the most important thing, especially in times of change and uncertainty, and how values-led brands are better positioned to stay relevant in times of change,
• The difference between business decisions and values-led brand decisions
• The emphasis on growth over the past 10-20 years and the impact that prioritizing growth has on how you do business, and how it has led to toxic cultures for many companies
• How different organizations set goals and KPIs and why they’re critical
• Why values are not just a feel good story to tell, they’re an effective lens for innovation
• Why a company’s values should not just parrot what they think customers want, and how context helps you make your values relevant
• How large brands like Walmart have stayed nimble in order to stay true to their core commitments and values
• How you measure success against you goals, why your KPIs are not black and white, and why they reflect what you value

References and Resources:

• LVG & Co
• The Gap Between Medium article by Lisa
• Consumer Goods Forum articles:
  • The Value of Values: Setting the Course
  • The Value of Values: Walking the Talk
• Quarantine Book Club – Mule Design Studio
• UN Sustainable Development Goals 2030
• BLab
• Thrive Global
• Let My People Go Surfing: The Education of a Reluctant Businessman–Including 10 More Years of Business Unusual by Yves Chouinard
• From Green to Gold by Harold Enrico
• Ishmael by Daniel Quinn
• Futerra Honest Generation

Select Highlights:

• “It’s about speaking what you believe and finding intersectionality with your audience on what they believe. That’s how that brand synergy happens, and how your message resonates. Going back to your values is the most important thing always but especially right now.”
• “If we say values are our guardrails for decision making, values are also then our guide for action taking. We have to think about how we walk the talk if we put things into action.”
• “There’s nothing that stays constant and some changes are bigger than others. What we have to figure out in times like COVID is what can we do that doesn’t take us away from our values? How do we act with the honor of our convictions.”
• “Leadership is really where values come in. Values in themselves are leading principles and leadership needs to own them and infuse them through the organization.”