Take a second to look at the world around you. Without a large investment of your time, it should become apparent that we seriously need to change the way we do things. Tons of waste being produced each year, inequalities between and within nations widening and the destruction of our natural resources to name a few reasons. This is why I am glad to have found a company like BR-ND. They (and from now on, we) understand that change is necessary, and that the actions of companies are a good place to start.

The last week of June 2019 has been fab for the 23plusone section of BR-ND, with a week long visit to the capital of Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur. Michael Cortino, Alexander Koene and Kim Cramer headed on a mission to train Ideascape leadership team, one of KL’s finest brand strategy consultancies. Together we hosted an Emotive Branding workshop, just like we do every quarterly season in the Netherlands. This time it marked the start of exciting South East Asian adventures.

Op vrijdag 15 februari zijn we met een aantal klanten naar de première van #niksteverbergen van De Verleiders in Theater Carré gegaan. De voorstelling begon meteen met een grap over het optreden van De Verleiders bij De Wereld Draait Door, wat nogal wat commotie had veroorzaakt. Ter promotie van hun nieuwe voorstelling #niksteverbergen gaven zij bij DWDD een sneak peek over hoe de overheid, bedrijven en inlichtingendiensten de privacy schenden door ons internetgedrag nauwkeurig in de gaten te houden.

One year ago BR-ND got certified as B Corp! We believe that brands can contribute to a better, livable and honest world, in which organisations exist to add positive value to the society. These kinds of brands promote happiness, and well-being of people, in a sustainable way.

I’m Sam! During the elapsed part of my MSc in Economic and Consumer Psychology I’ve cherished an interest in sustainable consumerism. What companies check the entire width and depth of their company to see where they can improve, involve and inspire? What companies know their brand has a value, a weight - and as such a role to play in a community outside of their own office? How should such companies portray themselves? So I decided to look for an internship with a company that could help teach me about this subject.

Success is what happens when you encounter luck while taking action for good.

2018 has again been another happy year for our BR-ND company. Looking back I can only be grateful with the opportunities to impact on the happiness and wellbeing of individuals, teams and companies. With a bit of imagination, maybe even on the happiness of the world around us.

De levensmiddelenindustrie heeft er een rotzooi van gemaakt. Met zoet-zout misleidende merken die er voor gezorgd hebben dat we ongezond zijn gaan eten en drinken, zwaarlijvigheid een chronische volksziekte is geworden, en onze oceanen die vol zitten met plastic verpakkingen. Emmanuel Faber (CEO Danone) vindt dat het anders moet en vertelde er openhartig over tijdens een B Corp event in het Sustainable Development Goals House, Koninklijk Instituut van de Tropen in Amsterdam.  

I’m Piri and I’m happy to say that I am joining the BR-ND team! Last year I finished my Bachelor of Business Administration at the Hogeschool van Amsterdam and I just started my premaster program at the Vrije Universiteit in Culture, Organization and Management. This program will teach me how to analyze organizational cultures and how to develop creative solutions.

Summer is the perfect time to be inspired and invest in your skills. That's precisely why BR-ND organises 4 compact half-day masterclasses around super interesting topics. 

Kim Cramer PhD, proud co-founder BR-ND & Emotome: 'We have always shared our knowledge and methods with bright and curious people. We see it as a responsibility to bring the whole branding and organisation development industry to a higher level. This summer we have asked 4 top experts in their fields to share their knowledge and trigger your thinking.'

“Het allerspannendst was het moment dat je je realiseert dat het anders moet.” Huub Waterval, CEO van Nextview, wil internationaal. Klaar om flink verder te groeien in én buiten Nederland. “Groei om de groei inspireert ons niet. We hebben als organisatie een verantwoordelijkheid naar de planeet en de maatschappij.”

Stel je voor dat je op een dag aangesteld wordt als CEO van een grote organisatie. En dat je de opdracht hebt meegekregen om niet de status quo te handhaven, maar om de organisatie te transformeren. Je staat opeens aan de top van een bedrijf in verandering. Je voelt de druk van aandeelhouders en toezichthouders om snel wijzigingen door te voeren, iets met de beruchte eerste 100 dagen. Oefff.

2017 has been a successful year for BR-ND in many respects. Not only has our team and business continued to grow, more importantly, we have been able to support many new clients with meaningful brand and culture development. Our 'emotive' way of working, which combines design thinking with branding, a concept we have been pioneering during the last decade, is increasingly being recognized as the way to go. We are grateful that more and more clients have selected us for our doings.

Stories tend to feel so natural because we are psychologically designed to process stories with greater ease than any other format. It is no wonder why brands have used storytelling to sell their vision, ideas, and products to the world for so many years. From very early on, brands were quick to understand the importance of storytelling in engaging, inspiring, and activating their audiences.

Emotive branding takes a behavioral approach to branding by basing a company’s story and meaning off of human fundamental drives. These fundamental drives, which stem from a company’s values, bring emotion to a brand, both internally and throughout the entire customer journey.

Many daily activities that were unthinkable 20-25 years ago are now a part of daily life. Since then, we started to communicate online instead of writing letters or postcards, we purchase goods via webshops without actually touching the goods before the purchase, and we listen to music without even having to buy an album. Technology has brought a sense of convenience to our lives. But even great convenience comes with consequences.

Our new team member Isil Dijkstra completed her Advertising & Market Research study at Istanbul University, which followed by BA Bachelor graduation with minor marketing at Anadolu University in Istanbul.

When it comes down to it, stories are the foundation of history, entertainment, as well as the way people internalise situations and events. So when it comes to the commercial world, it's no surprise that brands use this approach to share their own values, goals, vision, and, naturally, product pitches. 

De mensen zijn het merk. Immers, in een transparante wereld kun je niet meer buiten beloven, wat je binnen niet waar maakt. Het gaat erom wat je doet, niet om wat je roept. Daarom is employer branding nu belangrijker dan ooit. Maar, hoe zit het met de samenwerking tussen HR en Marketing? 

While people enjoy their holidays and most business goes in relax mode, it's the perfect period to take some time to soak up insights and inspiration from the 23plusone Lab. On the 6th of July we are organising a Summer School on Emotive Branding in Amsterdam.

We leven in een consumptiemaatschappij. We werken om in onze vrije tijd goederen en diensten te consumeren. Dat bevredigt geen basisbehoefte, maar geeft wel status en identiteit. Kapitalisme streeft naar permanente groei, bedrijven moeten meer produceren en mensen meer consumeren.