Medinge Group Amsterdam Meeting | Action Lab with Simon Paterson

During the Action Lab, we divided our large group of thirteen into three smaller teams who debated the question after I’d given the group my take.

To me having a visible conscience is about being true to who you are, what drives you, what you believe in and what you stand for as an organization; and then expressing that coherently in all of the ways people experience your brand.

After vigorous debate, each team came up with remarkably similar themes. It was important for a brand to first have a sense of purpose and be useful and relevant.  One group started with the question, ‘How can we make the life of people better?’ ‘Maximising profits is not the aim’. Then be truthful and credible. ‘Live your beliefs’. People are highly attuned to ‘Greenwash’. Companies need to invest in people, which echoed a view that sustainable brands are serious about people. Then brands need to be coherent and consistent in all aspects of design and communications, from the logo, to packaging and environments, to events and PR and particularly social media. Social media creates a sense of community between a company and its customers.

There was a debate about sustainability. What does it really mean? Is it really possible when man’s actions have a continuing impact on our environment? One team talked about the need to be responsible and adaptable and gave the example of creating new products from waste. Another group recognized that not all companies are designed to last.

My thanks to everyone who participated and if anyone would like to continue the conversation, please do so.

What does a visible conscience mean in terms of branding and design?