- Human beings don’t act, they behave and managing a brand is a lot like directing a film. Everyone, be they an entry-level employee or the CEO, has a role to play and a brand’s success relies on authenticity. The stone is the essence. It is the one central, unifying force that, like a stone dropped in water, will radiate energy throughout an organization.
I first heard the phrase “find the stone” from my directing teacher, Francine Parker, while getting my MFA in Film from the Art Center College of Design. Francine had a reputation for being a ball-buster and she didn’t disappoint. But her militant approach demanded that you knew what “the f’ing point is you’re trying to make” at all times. And so should your brand.
Finding the Stone has evolved from a concept I first learned in film school into a dynamic branding philosophy whose orthodoxy is that behind all things there is a reason why. The methodologies used to discover the stone have been refined, improved on, and reinvented over the years to incorporate the best practices of other experts in the industry like Simon Sineak’s Golden Circle.
The end result of the finding the stone process is brands emerge with a cohesive vision and unifying message that team members rally around and external marketing can promote.
If you would like to learn more about Finding the Stone and how it can help your organization, please contact me.
