The core concepts of IKIGAI helps answer some of the important questions in Brand Building….
IKIGAI (in Japanese IKI means ‘Life’ + GAI means “Worth”) is a Japanese concept. It helps us find out the ‘reason for our being.’ Your IKIGAI is what gives meaning to your life. It connects you with your inner-yourself and the world outside. IKIGAI is what inspires you to wake up every morning with fresh energy to create a life worth living.
Ikigai – The Japanese Secret to a Long and Happy Life – is an international bestseller written by Héctor García , Francesc Miralles. There have been 2 million+ copies sold worldwide.
SCHEMATIC REPRESENTATION
The concept of IKIGAI helps you to find a profession that is right for you. Schematically, IKIGAI is at the intersection of four circles, each carrying a question, as follows:
Circle 1: What you love doing Circle 2: What the world needs Circle 3: What you get paid for Circle 4: What you are good at
Your IKIGAI is the common element which reflects in every answer of the above questions.
Evident from the schematic, that the circles what you LOVE and what the world NEEDS help you derive your MISSION. Similarly, what the world NEEDS and what you can be PAID for point towards your VOCATION (field of study). The circles, what you can be PAID for and what you are GOOD AT guides you to choose PROFESSION. Lastly, what you are really GOOD AT and what you LOVE points to your PASSION. This is a general guideline; the true value of this concept can be realised only through practice.
BRAND BUILDING
Simply put, the key focus of brand building exercise is to establish trust, reliability and strong connection with its audience. This helps them believe in your organisation, value, product and services, and, therefore, prefer you over your competitors. They see you as the market leader in your field of business.
Note: This may not be a comprehensive definition, though it’s relevant in the context of this article.
THE ANALOGY
From an organisation’s point of view, the CORE IDEOLOGIES (Core Purpose, Core Values, Mission and Vision) define its DNA. This is internally focussed, and is an integral part of your organisation. You cannot fake it. This is what you love doing.
What the world needs is focussed on your client requirements or demands. It alsos refer to the challenges or problems faced by the client. Demand or problem, clients seek RELIABLE SOLUTION to meet their needs.
The organisation gets paid for its VALUE PROPOSITION, the value that it brings to the market. One of the key lessons from Jim Rohn’s Life transformation program – Challenges to Succeed talks about this very thing.
We get paid for bringing value to the marketplace. It takes time,… but we get paid for the value, not the time. – Jim Rohn
The STRENGTHS & SKILLS help the organisations to deliver great work.
Corporhythm believes that a company’s brand is its IKIGAI. Each circle denote answers as follows:
Circle 1: What you love doing – Core Ideologies Circle 2: What the world needs – Reliable Solutions Circle 3: What you get paid for – Value Proposition Circle 4: What you are good at – Strengths & Skills
The common element within Core Ideologies, Reliable Solutions, Value Proposition and Strengths & Skills is what your Brand is all about.
Let’s look at both the schematics together.
TRUST in BRAND BUILDING corresponds to MISSION in IKIGAI COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE (or EDGE) corresponds to VOCATION PROFESSION corresponds to EXPERTISE, and PASSION corresponds to SUCCESS
CONCLUSION
It has been our experience that, one should focus on this common element / IKIGAI to establish a strong brand. This significantly helps the leadership team to simplify the brand building process.
Picture Credits:
Feature Image: Photo by Om Thakkar: https://www.pexels.com/photo/apple-macbook-next-to-eyeglasses-and-stack-of-books-13117733/
IKIGAI Book Image: https://www.amazon.com/Ikigai-Japanese-Secret-Long-Happy/dp/0143130722
Very interesting…The parallels that you’ve drawn between Ikigai & Brand is really thought provoking.
Kudos. Keep up the good work!
Thank you so much!
Very informative.
Thank you!