When Drift was started in 2007 we shareholders got together and decided we were going to try and create something a little different. We decided that we were going to build the kind of company where we always wanted to work.

We wanted to build a different kind of company.

I was reading this article today about why a company’s purpose is now more imporant than ever http://gmj.gallup.com/content/114205/Company-Purpose-Matters.aspx and I felt compelled to blog about the Drift’s purpose.

As the article points out many companies often confuse their mission and purpose.

Our company mission is composed in two parts the first part is the D.R.I.F.T. component. In everything we do we are supposed to Do it RIght the First Time (DRIFT). We do this by delivering every site we build On Time, On Budget and Beyond Expectations.

Though this is our company mission it is NOT the company’s purpose.

So how do you build the company at which you always wanted to work? Everyone has had bad jobs in the past and we have all heard about those dream jobs that allegedly exist somewhere out there in that rarefied air where only the angels live.

You know, the jobs with the daycare, on site dentist and endless buffet bar. I expect most business owners would like to be successful enough to one day get there. But where do you begin?

At Drift we recognized that our purpose was to build the company we always wanted to work for, but what does that actually mean?

First it meant  that we had to recognize that our notion of corporate responsibility would require us to look at the needs of our company’s stakeholders on a regular basis.

“Stakeholders you say, not shareholders?”

Exactly. We recognize that many different people have a stake in your company that goes far beyond the fiduciary duty to shareholders. We feel that by serving our stakeholders that we will remain true to our purpose and serve our shareholders at the same time.

We have identified our stakeholders as our Employees, Clients, the community at large, as well as our shareholders.

This means that for us to serve our purpose we need to provide our employees with a challenging and rewarding environment in which to work. Rewarding encompasses more that strictly monetary rewards, but more on that in a moment.

We realize that we only prosper if we recognize we have a stake in the success of our clients. For us to excel we need to help them succeed beyond the scope of just a given contract. We achieve this by leveraging our networking resources and exceeding what they expect of us.

We know that being responsible to the community in which you work means helping out with both time and money. To this end our company is chartered on the idea that we will give 10% of our net profits every year to charities based on a vote of our employees. In addition, we provide some degree of pro-bono service based on employee interest. This serves a two fold purpose in that it helps us connect to the communities we serve and the world at large and well as giving our employees a sense of fulfillment.

Finally our duties to our shareholders take care of themselves when we allow our company purpose to be met.

• This challenging economic time is an opportunity to stand out from the crowd.
• Allow your company to really engage in its purpose and get back to basics.
• Re-evaluate and re-align if you have found that your company has gotten on the wrong track.
• Realize what you company’s purpose is and you will find that you will emerge from the trying times stronger and more focused.

That way one day you will be able to provide that “All you can eat” buffet.

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At our last board meeting, we got to talking about core competencies of businesses. What exactly does the term ‘core competency’ mean? Simply stated, core competence is something a company does especially well relative to its competitors. Identifying these areas and focusing on them gives your business a key advantage in your industry. I’ve seen some companies spread themselves out in order to be an “all in one” sort of company. For example, a company that offers tech services, computer networking, websites, graphic design and promo materials. (Seriously, they do exist.)

While this seems convenient on the surface for their clients, it has been my experience that they excel in one area, but suffer greatly in many of the other offered services. I often see websites developed by these types of companies lacking true design (often they’re developed by programmers and lack a certain…artistic quality). This isn’t just true for this industry, it works across the board.

There are three factors that help identify core competencies in any business:

• Provides potential access to a wide variety of markets (basically enable the creation of new products and services.)
• Makes a significant contribution to the perceived customer (benefits of the end product).
• Difficult for competitors to imitate.

Consider your options when choosing the companies you do business with and make sure they have their customer’s best interests in mind. For those business owners out there, consider your businesses core competencies. We guarantee you it provides a competitive advantage in your field.

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I heard on NPR yesterday (Morning Edition: Boyish Charm: Disney XD Woos Young Princes) that the Walt Disney Company remembered that boys are a part of their audience too. Well, ok, that wasn’t specifically said, but that is what I got out of the segment. In all of their fanatical success with the Princess craze, High School Musical and Hannah Montana, Disney has begun to target their young male audience. What sorts of things capture the attention of boy ages 6 – 14 these days? Honestly, when my choices are the above mentioned, I wouldn’t answer with “Disney”.  (Heck, I still miss Ninja Turtles.)

Apparently, Disney is looking to make themselves edgier, with Disney XD – a cable channel marketed towards the 18 million young male viewers. I specifically heard “edgier font” in the interview and that is what piqued my interest.

Edgier Font, huh?

It all comes back to branding folks. You can put content geared toward your viewers online, but the look has to match who you are targeting. You don’t want  a grunge, distressed look for your corporate bank website. You don’t want a sterile, boring and flat layout for a restaurant. A huge part of Disney recapturing these guys’ attention is to appear more authentic. Cause really, there is only so much “edgier” Disney can get while keeping it real.

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Company meetings are usually accompanied by food of some sort. At our latest, we got pizza! Pizza Hut to be exact. So, when our pie of cheesy goodness arrived, we were slightly surprised to find the box emblazoned with a new company look – “The Hut”.

Maybe it has been around for a bit, and we just haven’t had Pizza Hut in a while. Maybe its part of a growing trend for older companies to “minimize and modernize” their logo (think Circuit City’s “The City”). Whatever it is, we immediately burst into laughter and picked up that Sharpie.

We here at Drift Web Design like to think we have a wicked (but harmless) sense of humor.

While I think it is great that companies try to stay on top of their corporate image, all I’m asking is for graphic designers to “artist-proof” their images. When going for a modern look and following trendy design techniques, try to think about all the different ways that your logo can be perceived. This usually doesn’t happen overnight and rarely ever with one person.

Think about the media jumbotron that is Coca-cola. They have invested billions (with a “B”) in honing their corporate image. While not all of us have billions to spend on marketing and development, we can implement good design.

There are four elements that can be seen in every great logo:

1. It’s describable
2. It’s memorable
3. It’s effective without color
   
4. It’s scalable i.e. effective when just an inch in size

So, for all the businesses out there that either need a logo, or need an updated look, consider these elements when you choose a designer. A strong logo is worth its weight in gold. A slightly weaker logo is worth its weight in giggles and does nothing to help your business stand out.

With that….back to Jabba.

Seriously, we snickered about this all night.

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