The Weekly
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The Weekly No. 19

The Weekly No. 19

Your Brand

Greg Bellinger
October 25, 2024

On the mind.

I just came across this quote that reminded me of something I have always communicated with our leadership team.

"Your brand is what people say about you when you're not in the room."

I Googled it and apparently Jeff Bezos coined the phrase. I’ve been saying something similar to our team when discussing word of mouth about our company, I often remind them in my own words, "Remember to think about what our customers are saying about us when we’re not in the room. How do they talk about us as a company?" It’s a powerful perspective — to see ourselves through the lens of what people say when we’re not around.

What do they say? Is it good? Is it bad? These questions have literally kept me up at night, thinking about the importance of delivering quality work and how word of mouth shapes perceptions.

While I did not directly relate it to our brand in the way Jeff Bezos did, I realize now, that without really knowing it, I was referring to the White Rabbit Group brand all along.

As we build web products, support our customers, and handle all aspects of the work we do here at White Rabbit Group, I want this idea to be in the back of our teams minds.

We should be aware of how we want the world to perceive us as a group of people and we want them to say:

We are fun. We’re human and we’re fun to work with, through the ups and downs. At the end of the day, what’s the point if we’re not enjoying the work or the people around us?
We are reliable. We get things done. We’re not going anywhere as a company and are a strong pillar for our customers to rely on.
We are calm, cool, collected. No drama, even in the worst of situations. We should always interact with calmness, whether with each other internally or our customers.
No egos. We lead with empathy, and egos have no place here.
Integrity above all else. We hold true to ourselves, we're honest, we keep our promises, take responsibility, and we treat others fairly.
We work hard. Hard work is about consistently showing up with a proactive mindset, giving 100%, learning from mistakes, and truly caring about the work.
Fast, like a rabbit. In our world, service companies get hired for speed. We pride ourselves on fast communication and quick expert-driven solutions.
We are the gold standard. Our work is the gold standard, and what we say holds weight because it’s rooted in trust. Of all the bullets listed here, this is the core feeling one should have about our company.

This idea is a lens through which we can all view our company’s performance with empathy. Putting yourself in your customers shoes when you are not around. Ultimately, your brand is a feeling, it’s what people feel about you when they mention your companies name.

Whether it’s Nike or Microsoft, a brand is defined by the feeling it evokes.

I never want our team to forget this.