So what do you do when there is a real need for a culture change “…”? Ideally, you introduce a new story while also valuing and honoring the old one. This is a little like having one brand identity while recognizing the power of the category essence. An organization’s fundamental story is usually derived from its product line, its founder, and early decisions that were made and encoded in an oral history that becomes its story.
Over time, the company hires people who have the right chemistry—meaning that they live by the same story. You can introduce new stories, but they are like new software. At this point, it works best to think of the historic brand identity as the operating system, which is inevitably still defined by the old story. All the new software needs is to be compatible. You can update the operating system, but replacing it requires you to start over, losing your brand equity.
— The Hero and the Outlaw: Building Extraordinary Brands Through the Power of Archetypes by Margaret Mark, Carol S. Pearson