2008

Rebranding Opportunities for the American Red Cross?

April 10, 2008

Tweet The American Red Cross has appointed a new CEO, Gail J. McGovern. McGovern, currently a marketing professor at the Harvard Business School, has many years of experince at for profit and nonprofit organizations. Announcements of the new CEO mention the trials of the American Red Cross, noting that the organization has had 7 CEOs […]

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Authenticity: Is it Organizational or is it Marketing?

April 8, 2008

Tweet Of all the current conversations about authenticity and organizations, none is more vibrant- and confused- than the conversation that mingles authenticity, authentic brands and authentic organizations. The Harvard Business Review March 2008 issue has a case by David Weinberger about the fictional Hunsk Engines, entitled “Authenticity: Is it Real or is it Marketing?“This case […]

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My Favorite InAuthentic Organization is…

April 1, 2008

Tweet … The International Federation of Anarchists. Consider the conceptual contradictions between identity, action, and purpose.

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Honey is really bee vomit: Why we should label “NonProfit” Organizations “For-Purpose” Organizations

March 28, 2008

Tweet “You catch more flies with honey than vinegar.” Would this advice make any sense if, instead, it was: “You catch more flies with bee vomit than vinegar”? Heck no. That’s why it makes a difference when organizations have positive, attractive, and descriptive names. Names matter Names convey identity. They can be crafted to emphasize […]

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Authentic Organizational Partnerships: Co-Branding and The Abercrombie & Fitch Trauma Center

March 27, 2008

Tweet (photo from TheConsumerist) In an earlier post we considered how the new name of the Abercrombie & Fitch Trauma Center might affect the Center’s employees. Here, let’s consider why a partnership between Abercrombie & Fitch and the Columbus Children’s Hospital is inauthentic. And, let’s consider what criteria should be used to evaluate whether a […]

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Authentic Organizational Partnerships: Organizational Brands, Names, the Columbus Children’s Hospital, and the Abercrombie & Fitch Trauma Center

March 19, 2008

Tweet + = ??? In an earlier post, I mentioned that authentic organizations might find it hard to find appropriate partner organizations, because the qualities of the company you keep are often inferred to be the qualities of your organization itself. And now, in the news , is a great example of this very problem: […]

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5 (More) Reasons Why Being Authentic Can Be Bad for Your Organization

March 13, 2008

Tweet Being authentic limits who your organization can attract as partners. Not every organization wants to do business with an organization that’s authentic, because authentic organizations can be demanding partners. Authentic organizations need partners who will support the organization’s dedication to authenticity, who will appreciate why the organization dedicates its resources to sustaining authenticity, and […]

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5 Reasons Why Being Authentic Can Be Bad For Your Organization

March 5, 2008

Tweet Being authentic requires constant vigilance. Authentic organizations need constantly to monitor the relationship between their identity, their image, and their actions. Ideally, the organization wants to catch (and fix) any misalignments before others notice, because these misalignments can easily be interpreted as signs that the organization isn’t authentic or isn’t intending to remain authentic. […]

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Can an employee be “too authentic”?

February 28, 2008

Tweet “The guy was too authentic to do his job!” The employee in question worked for an organization that created “lifestyle” products for the action sports market. He worked as an editor and was responsible for updating the organization’s website every morning. The organization positioned itself as having authentic insight into the action sports community, […]

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Every organization has an authenticity story. What’s yours?

February 28, 2008

Tweet Every organization has an authenticity story. And, anyone who has worked in an organization has a story about authenticity. I am looking for interesting stories, illuminating examples, and intriguing dilemmas related to authenticity in organizations and the authenticity of organizations. Whenever I talk with someone about my research and consulting interests, that person has […]

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