You know the story. You’ve built something from scratch, it worked, and now it’s “who we are.” There’s a playlist. An in-joke. An office mural quoting your company’s unofficial motto (probably in Helvetica). You’re proud of the culture you’ve created. And so you should be.
But markets don’t care about your mural. Customers don’t cling to your sense of self. If your offer doesn’t evolve, they’ll happily go dancing with someone else. Someone who has regularly updated their culture for the past decade and counting.
Take the Bee Gees. Started as pop crooners in the sixties. Great harmonies. Big Beatles vibe. But they saw where the world was heading. The rise of disco. Nightclubs. Flared pants. So they changed. Same voices, different beat. They embraced reinvention and became icons all over again.
Instead of clinging to their old sound like a badge of honour, the Gibbs from Redcliffe read the room and chose to become relevant again.
Can you say the same for your business?
When “culture fit” means “nothing changes”
The phrase “culture fit” has become a velvet rope for sameness. It quietly rejects new ideas and fresh perspectives because they feel too unfamiliar. Too risky. Too different to what’s always been done.
And that’s exactly how businesses stall.
You can’t grow into the future while hugging the past like a tatty childhood teddy. Self-perception unchecked becomes a dangerous mirror. One that only reflects what you already like, know, and believe.
If you’re still selling what worked five years ago…
…it probably doesn’t work now. Or not in the way it used to.
Consumer needs change and expectations shift. Markets move fast and without permission. Your pricing, positioning, and promotion should be flexible enough to keep up. And your culture should be helping you keep up with the times.
Culture and brand are interconnected and brand is a living, breathing thing. One that exists in relation to the world around it. Ergo, for your culture to continue moving forward, your brand needs to remain flexible.
When nostalgia is the strategy
That’s when the real rot sets in. Businesses start confusing legacy with relevance. They wear “how we’ve always done it” like it’s armour, when it’s actually just a heavy costume from a play no one’s staging anymore.
Culture becomes the excuse. The scapegoat. The reason nothing changes, even when everything needs to.
And that’s when your business growth quietly dies. Not with a bang, but with an indifferent, entirely avoidable shrug.
Fixing the foundation
If this feels uncomfortably familiar, you’re not alone. We’re not saying you have to burn it all down to build it back up. You do need to take a hard look at the stories your business tells itself. The assumptions baked into your meetings. The unspoken rules about “how things are done.”
That’s where we come in.
We run brand workshops that uncover the sticky bits of culture you didn’t know were holding you back. We craft brand strategies that realign your business to meet the present and future moment. And we plan communications that help your team understand where you’re headed and why it matters.
You’ve still got a great voice. We just help you find the right beat.
Ready to dance?
Culture can be your rocket fuel. Or it can be the rope tying you to the launch pad. The difference is whether you’re willing to challenge it.
So if you’re stuck playing the same old song and wondering why no one’s listening, maybe it’s time to change the track.
