S05.EP13 - Building Brands with Soul with Maria Brasil

The episode features a compelling discussion with Maria Brasil, founder of Essence Branding and a champion of conscious capitalism. Maria shares her journey from working in traditional branding agencies to pioneering a brand strategy approach that emphasizes aligning brand positioning with organizational culture. She explains the concept of conscious capitalism, which revolves around four pillars: higher purpose, conscious leadership, conscious culture, and stakeholder integration. Maria and the hosts delve into the importance of building brands “from the inside out,” stressing that true brand authenticity stems from the company’s core values and culture, not just external marketing efforts. Maria shares insights from her work, including a project with a fintech company in Brazil’s favelas, where she helped develop a brand that resonates deeply with its community by addressing their unique needs and challenges. The episode also explores the challenges of integrating conscious capitalism into business practices, emphasizing the need for leaders to take the time to understand and authentically embody the brand’s values. Maria concludes by encouraging companies to consciously build brands that are not only profitable but also meaningful and aligned with their internal culture. Conscious Capitalism is a business philosophy that emphasizes the importance of aligning business practices with social and environmental responsibilities. It advocates for a business model that serves all major stakeholders, including customers, employees, investors, communities, suppliers, and the environment, rather than solely focusing on maximizing shareholder value.