Knights of morality

Knights of morality

Something is changing in the branding corridors. You can feel it.

Part of it is social media. Part of it is the financial hangover. And part of it is that the old promise of “more” has started sounding a bit like a ringtone you can’t unhear.

So here’s the big, slightly dramatic question:

Are we slowly leaving the capitalist era behind us? Or are we just upgrading it to a version with fewer bugs and a better conscience?

Either way, with a bit of imagination you can hear a growing choir of branding moralists warming up. They’re singing a sweet new song: from greed to generosity, from “take” to “give”, from “growth at all costs” to “good, but make it real”.

Three questions

• Can branding transform from the court jester of capitalism into something closer to a knight for human thriving?
• Can branding people sneak into the C-suite, swap the agenda, and replace “more money” with “more meaning” without getting escorted out?
• Can branding actually help create a better world for our children, instead of just a better tagline for it?

The uncomfortable bit

Let’s not pretend we’re all saints. Our industry can be money-driven and ego-friendly. Sometimes we polish the castle while the village is on fire.

And yet, we keep believing brands can help shift the world in a better direction.

Why? Because brands don’t just sell. They shape. They nudge behavior. They signal what a group values. They whisper, “This is who we are,” and people, being wonderfully social creatures, often answer: “Great, I’ll act accordingly.”

If the brands surrounding us start triggering feelings related to generosity, friendship, and social justice, then those values become easier to live by. Not perfect. Not overnight. But directionally.

A thought experiment

What if branding and communication professionals, and the other business tribes circling the same boardroom table, joined that choir and sang the same song to clients?

Would we be able to make an impact? Would we shift decisions, not just perceptions?

Shouldn’t we just try?

Because maybe the “knight” part isn’t about armor and heroics. Maybe it’s about showing up, doing the work, and choosing a slightly better story to live by.