communicating your culture

how to show off your brand’s true colours

You know how sometimes you walk into a business and you can just feel what they're about?

Now that’s culture, a company’s culture.

It’s in the way the staff greets you, the little details in their space and even in the way they respond to a tricky situation.

I’m sure you’d be able to bring that across if you’re interacting in person or at a brick and mortar but companies can do the same thing online too. It all starts with how they share their culture through marketing.

Let’s break this down a bit.

When I think of company culture, I think of it like the vibe of a close-knit group of friends—how they talk, what they believe in, the inside jokes they share.

But the real question is how can a business get that across to its audience, especially when most of the interaction happens online?

One way is by making sure your values show up in your content. Are you a fun-loving, playful brand? Are you a clean-cut stoic kind of brand? You can show off those values in a bunch of different places.

Let’s start with your visuals. Think of the difference between weird Barbie and the regular Barbie we all know and love. (Although I’ve got to admit, I was not actually a Barbie kid)

The two characters share the same roots but project completely different vibes.

Regular Barbie has that classic, polished look: everything from her perfectly styled hair to her bright, coordinated outfits says, “I’ve got it all together.” Weird Barbie, on the other hand, with her mismatched clothes, colourful hair, and quirky expressions, tells a story of embracing creativity, uniqueness, and a little bit of chaos.

Those visual cues give off entirely different perceptions of their personalities and you can use that idea in your own visuals. Whether it’s through bold, colourful graphics that shout fun and energy or sleek, minimalist designs that speak to professionalism and calm. The visuals a company chooses are like a window into its soul, giving audiences an immediate sense of what they’re all about.

Another way that’s super easy to show off your vibes are in your copy.

Copy is just a fancy way of referring to the words you’re using. Technically it’s defined as the written information that aims to inform, persuade or entertain your audience.

Now back to how you can use it. You’ll see brands differentiate themselves in the way they write their Instagram captions or in the casual, behind-the-scenes stories they share.

Are they all about innovation and growth? Maybe you’ll notice that their blog posts are filled with case studies and forward-thinking ideas.

Think of it like this: if your brand was a person, how would it introduce itself at a party? Would it be cracking jokes, sharing the latest industry news or showing off its sustainable, eco-friendly swag?

I’ve seen some international brands really nail this while some others fall short. Some successful ones in my mind are Wendy’s, Duolingo and the Teletubbies. (Have you seen the Teletubbies’ TikTok page recently? It’s epic. Think I should do a case study on that sometime soon…)

Now here’s a little secret: people can tell when it’s authentic.

Trying to put on a persona that doesn’t match what you’re truly about? It’s like trying to wear shoes that don’t quite fit. It’s uncomfortable, and it shows. But when you’re true to who you are as a brand, it’s like a breath of fresh air for your audience.

So, if you’re running a business—or just dreaming about one—think about how you want to communicate your company culture. What’s the story you want to tell, and how can you weave it into the way you show up online?

Let me know what you think! Hit reply and share if there’s a brand you love because they’ve nailed their culture or if you’ve got a story about your own experience. I’d love to hear it.

Until next time, keep being you, because that’s what makes the magic happen ✨

Love from your Chronically Online Friend,
Sydney ✨💖