Brand is Soylent Green

Soylent Green was a 1973 end-of-civilisation movie, set in a dystopian future (2022) ravaged by overpopulation, the greenhouse effect and chronic pollution.

It starred Charlton “Planet of the Apes” Heston

It’s a murder mystery.

The story is set in New York.

The exploding, mostly-unemployed population is living on food supplements – made by the Soylent Corporation, from plankton.

Soylent Red.

Which was followed by Soylent Yellow.

Then came the best of them all.

Soylent Green.

One simple pill with every single dietary requirement a human could need.

Long story short.

There’s a wealthy elite.

Someone gets murdered.

Michelangelo comes to investigate. (Sorry, Charlton Heston comes to investigate.)

The entire movie consists of Moses trying to track down the murderer before finding a report that shows the oceans are dying, the plankton is dying (or dead) and Soylent Green was being made out of people

The movie ends with Ben Hur being taken away on a litter, trying to convince an uncaring mob, “Soylent Green is made from people! Soylent Green is people!”

So, how does this track back to the fact your sales are slow and the uncaring mob isn’t finding as much yummy sustenance in your brand as they used to?

Your brand is made from people.

Your people.

Their actions, their words, the experiences they provide.

The care they put into making your product.

This is what builds your reputation.

And, if they’re just doing it for money, their attitudes and behaviours will reflect that.

Which builds a culture of “doing it for the money.”

Which flows on to your reputation.

But.

If your people are united around a purpose.

Their attitudes and behaviours will reflect that.

And build value (while reducing costs).

Because your culture is as much an expression of your brand as your logo or your product.

Your brand is made from people.