Legacy. What matters?

The things you thought were important – are they?

OK, I appreciate that sounds a bit deep but it’s a thought that I’ve been pondering for some time; have I made any positive impact in the world so far and what should I do now? Maybe like me, this year you’re thinking differently about how you would like people to think about you, your company or your brand? What it’s all for anyway?

These last two years have been a profound, transitional time for me, not limited to, or because of the pandemic. I have been reflecting upon my life and my career a lot. The thoughts about legacy and value came sharply into focus when my parents’ family home was ‘cleared’, meaning literally, everything was removed or moved. A lifetime of possessions and memories shaken up and dispersed.

I was appalled as treasured, valuable ‘must-have’ items of my parents’ were cast aside as being out dated by the next generation, myself included. We all do this don’t we?

Many of my parent’s items went to charity – furniture, bedding, crockery, clothing..at least we were able to do some good, I hope. Someone suggested we hired a skip and dumped it all. No words for that really. My home is now full of many of my parents’ bits and pieces. I simply don’t know what to do with them so they will stay with me for now as I don’t want to look back and regret my actions. It will take some time and that’s exactly how it should be.

There are so many treasured talismans from Mum and Dad that mean ‘home’. A warn wooden spoon, the antique tin Mum used to keep her cakes in, or Dad’s carving knife that all evoke multi-sensory memories and feelings. Smells, sounds, voices around a dinner table. Simple objects made warm in their hands, symbolic of love, kindness, and strength through tough times. They are only small items but they are potent symbols from our family time together, they bring back discussions, family history, and experiences that have shaped my thoughts and values. They evoke powerful feelings because they are real, it happened, I remember. They are authentic, these items have provenance.

That word – authentic – it’s over-used, but it’s why we’re able to create the complexity of meaning and emotion beyond the merely functional in ‘things’.

It’s why brands can mean more to us by transcending into experiences, creating feelings and loyalty when we trust and believe in their story.

However, now more than ever before, we want to know that what we are seeing or hearing comes from a place of authenticity. This applies not only to our politicians but also to business and brands. As consumers we now expect more from the organisations that we engage with. We want to trust that they are aligned with our own values and if not then we will go elsewhere.

I think there’s a great opportunity to create a focus on real values and reduce the mass of marketing noise. There is an important role for brands and businesses to make changes that are for better for the planet, as people reflect more on what is important to them after this tumultuous couple of years. We absolutely need more sustainable, ethical business practice and more honesty and respect all round but we also need some light and joy back in our lives and optimism for future.

It’s OK to want to have fun, it’s OK to want to be indulgent, it’s OK to want to escape from the depressing news and the day to day – there should be a time and place for all of it, we hope. The challenge now is for brands to find their niche and to be honest about what they stand for with messaging that’s relevant to their audience. Brands jumping on the sustainability band wagon need to make sure they are creating a future legacy built upon tangible actions rather than just symbolic campaigns and messages. People can spot the difference.

There are some thoughts and actions for me too, as it’s reignited my own sense of purpose in wanting to help others succeed. I’ve also realised that I need to lighten up a little.

It is fine to remove what you don’t need when there’s a tangible and positive legacy that’s built on meaning, depth and feelings. What really matters should stand the test of time. I truly hope the legacy built from the last two years will create a kinder, fairer society that treasures the planet and our natural resources. Maybe that’s what it’s for, what do you think?