Brand Culture

When building a powerful brand, it’s not just about the external messages or visuals that customers see—it’s about the internal culture that drives the behaviours, attitudes, and actions of the people behind the brand.

If your organization’s internal culture doesn’t align with your brand values and promises, you risk creating a disconnect that can erode trust and undermine success.

This is where the concept of brand culture fit comes into play.

It’s about ensuring that your company’s internal culture supports and reinforces your brand identity, so every touchpoint—from your employees’ interactions with customers to the products and services you deliver—reflects the core values of your brand.

One of the most effective ways to assess and align your brand with your internal culture is by using the 'Competing Values Framework' (CVF).

The CVF Framework helps you identify the dominant culture type within your organization and align it with your brand’s goals, ensuring that internal practices match external promises.

In this article, we’ll explore the four cultural types within the CVF, how they relate to brand strategy, and how organizations can use this model to create cultural alignment that drives brand success.

What Is Brand Culture fit?

Brand culture fit refers to the alignment between an organization’s internal culture and its external brand. In other words, it’s about ensuring that what happens inside the company—the way people think, behave, and work—reflects the brand’s core identity and values.

When there’s a strong fit between brand and culture, employees naturally embody the brand’s mission and vision in their everyday work.

This creates a consistent experience for customers and strengthens brand loyalty. However, when there’s a misalignment, it can cause friction.

For example, if a brand positions itself as customer-centric but its internal culture prioritizes rigid processes over flexibility, customers may receive a subpar experience that doesn’t match the brand’s promise.

The Role of the Competing Values Framework (CVF)

The 'Competing Values Framework' (CVF) is a powerful tool for assessing and understanding organizational culture. Developed by researchers Robert Quinn and John Rohrbaugh, the CVF categorizes organizational culture into four distinct types, each representing different values, priorities, and behaviors. These culture types exist along two key dimensions:

Flexibility vs. Control:

Whether the organization prioritizes adaptability and innovation or stability and efficiency.

Internal vs. External Focus:

Whether the organization focuses on internal cohesion and development or external market success and competition.

By placing an organization within this framework, leaders can assess how well their internal culture aligns with their brand’s external goals. The four cultural types within the CVF are:

1. Collaborate (Clan Culture)
2. Create (Adhocracy Culture)
3. Compete (Market Culture)
4. Control (Hierarchy Culture)

Each culture type offers unique strengths and challenges, and each aligns differently with various brand strategies. Let’s explore each type in more detail and how they relate to brand culture fit.

— 1.0

Collaborate (Clan Culture)

Do It Together:

Clan Culture is characterized by a focus on collaboration, teamwork, and a sense of family within the organization. In a Clan culture, employee involvement, loyalty, and personal relationships are highly valued.

The environment is typically warm, supportive, and centered around nurturing individual development.

Values:

Collaboration, employee engagement, trust, and teamwork.

Brand Alignment:

Clan cultures align well with brands that prioritize customer relationships, personalized service, and community engagement. These brands are typically seen as approachable, human-centred, and caring.

Example of Clan Culture Alignment:

Zappos, the online retailer known for its exceptional customer service, is a prime example of a company with a Clan culture.

Read the Zappos, culture page.

The brand’s focus on delivering a “wow” experience to customers is deeply rooted in its internal culture of collaboration and employee empowerment.

Zappos’ employees are given the autonomy to go above and beyond for customers, creating a consistent brand experience that aligns with the company’s core values of customer satisfaction and community.

Misalignment Risk:

A company with a Clan culture that tries to position itself as a highly competitive, market-driven brand may struggle to maintain consistency.

The internal focus on collaboration and relationships may not align with external messaging that emphasizes aggressive competition or rapid growth, leading to brand confusion.

— 2.0

Create (Adhocracy Culture)

Do It First:

Adhocracy Culture emphasizes innovation, creativity, and risk-taking. Organizations with an Adhocracy culture are flexible and adaptable, constantly seeking new opportunities and pushing the boundaries of what’s possible.

The focus is on growth, experimentation, and staying ahead of industry trends.

Values:

Innovation, flexibility, risk-taking, and vision.

Brand Alignment:

Brands that thrive on innovation and cutting-edge solutions align well with Adhocracy cultures. These are the brands that position themselves as pioneers, constantly evolving and pushing for breakthroughs in their industries.

Example of Adhocracy Culture Alignment:

Google is a classic example of a company with an Adhocracy culture.

Read more on Google culture.

The tech giant’s internal culture encourages experimentation, creativity, and innovation, all of which align perfectly with its brand identity as a leader in technological advancement.

Google’s famous “20% time,” where employees are encouraged to spend part of their workweek on passion projects, exemplifies its commitment to fostering a culture of innovation.

Misalignment Risk:

An organization with an Adhocracy culture that tries to brand itself as stable and reliable may face challenges in delivering on that promise. Adhocracy cultures thrive on change and experimentation, which could create inconsistencies if the brand promises stability or predictability to customers.

— 3.0

Compete (Market Culture)

Do It Fast:

Market Culture is focused on results, competitiveness, and achieving external success. Organizations with a Market culture prioritize goals such as profitability, market share, and customer satisfaction.

There’s a strong emphasis on meeting targets, driving performance, and staying ahead of competitors.

Values:

Competitiveness, results, goal achievement, and market dominance.

Brand Alignment:

Brands that emphasize performance, leadership, and success in their industry align well with Market cultures. These brands often position themselves as the best in their field, with a focus on delivering high-quality products or services that outshine competitors.

Example of Market Culture Alignment:

Amazon is a company with a strong Market culture, where the focus is on efficiency, customer obsession, and outpacing competitors.

Leadership at Amazon

This internal culture aligns with the brand’s external promise of providing fast, reliable service at the best possible prices.

Amazon’s relentless focus on operational excellence and customer satisfaction drives its brand success and positions it as a market leader.

Misalignment Risk:

A company with a Market culture that tries to position itself as a nurturing, people-first brand may struggle with brand culture fit. The internal focus on results and competition may conflict with external messaging that emphasizes care, empathy, or community.

— 4.0

Control (Hierarchy Culture)

Do It Right:

Hierarchy Culture is characterized by structure, stability, and efficiency. Organizations with a Hierarchy culture prioritize consistency, procedures, and control.

There’s a strong emphasis on following established processes and maintaining order within the organization.

Values:

Efficiency, structure, stability, and process.

Brand Alignment:

Brands that emphasize reliability, consistency, and operational excellence align well with Hierarchy cultures.

These brands often promise dependable, high-quality service or products that customers can rely on time and time again.

Example of Hierarchy Culture Alignment:

McDonald’s is a great example of a brand with a Hierarchy culture.

The fast-food giant’s internal culture is built around standardization and consistency, ensuring that every customer receives the same experience no matter where they are in the world.

McDonald's Culture

This aligns perfectly with McDonald’s brand promise of delivering consistent, fast, and affordable meals to millions of customers every day.

Misalignment Risk:

An organization with a Hierarchy culture that tries to brand itself as innovative and disruptive may find it difficult to live up to that image.

The internal focus on rules and processes could stifle the creativity and flexibility needed to maintain an innovative brand identity.

How to Use CVF to Achieve Brand Culture Fit

Now that we’ve explored the four cultural types within the Competing Values Framework, let’s discuss how organizations can use this model to achieve brand culture fit.

1.0 Assess Your Current Culture:

Start by evaluating your organization’s current culture using the CVF. Identify which cultural type dominates your workplace—are you more collaborative and people-focused, or results-driven and competitive? Understanding your existing culture is the first step in determining whether it aligns with your brand strategy.

2.0 Identify Brand Values:

Next, clearly define the core values of your brand. What do you want your brand to stand for in the minds of customers? What promises do you make to your audience? These values should guide the culture you cultivate within your organization.

3.0 Compare and Align:

Compare your current culture with your brand values. Do they align, or is there a disconnect? For example, if your brand emphasizes innovation but your culture is rigid and process-driven, you may need to introduce more flexibility and creativity into your workplace to better align with your brand.

4.0 Make Strategic Changes:

If there’s a misalignment, consider making strategic changes to your culture. This could involve introducing new leadership practices, adjusting internal policies, or creating programs that encourage the behaviors and attitudes you want to see. The goal is to create an environment where employees naturally embody your brand’s values.

5.0 Reinforce Consistently:

Once you’ve aligned your culture and brand, reinforce the connection through regular communication, training, and recognition programs. Encourage employees to live the brand every day and reward behaviors that support the brand’s identity.

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Achieving brand culture fit is critical for building a strong, consistent brand that resonates with both employees and