22 Oct Zenzi Team Values: Where we stand

Here at Zenzi, we believe there is an order to things … and that order is “values first.” Our marketing ethos is one which derives reason for every decision from the emotional and psychological values a person was raised with and/or developed. If someone prioritizes comfort, they are not apt to book the same vacation, or even select the same handbag as someone who seeks adventure above all else. So, seeing as we apply our Values Wheel and its 6 types to the work that we do and the audiences that we create content for, we figured why not turn the tables around on ourselves and assess Zenzi’s team through the lens of our values. 

Each team member took the Values Survey and shared their results, which are as follows:

You’re not seeing double (or septuple), the Zenzi team has remarkably similar values across the board, with a strong emphasis on the Freedom, Purpose, and Pleasure parts of the Values chart. Sarah, Zenzi’s founder and CEO heads up the team from a Freedom-Seeking perspective, whereas Rebecca on the Marketing team and Graham on the Research team are more predominately Purpose-Seeking. Masha from the Research team is Zenzi’s most prominent Pleasure-Seeker, but Kelly, who works in Content, isn’t far behind with an equal split of Freedom, Pleasure, and Purpose-Seeking. 

So what does all this mean? Well Zenzi as a company is one that is driven by individualist thought. We are comprised of team members who pursue unique solutions and find our strength in problem-solving. Even the way Zenzi approaches Marketing diverges from the common path, as we (as mentioned in the very first sentence of this post) put Values first. Sarah developed this Values System herself (with the partnership of a university and lots of research) when no such guidelines existed previously, and has lead the team to pioneering experiences of working with emerging industries and products. 

This is not to say that Zenzi only knows how to cater to clients of a similar Values profile. Rather, when working with brands that are more Tradition- or Security-Seeking, we approach it from a new angle — how can we convey “Tradition,” “Security,” and “Success,” in ways that honor the sentiments but still push the concept and the product forward. Sometimes the most impactful campaigns or brand identities can be found at the intersection of two values that seem disconnected. Even though the Values are divided into 6 broad categories, as seen in the team’s charts above, everyone and everything contains multiplicity. 

As for the fated experience that all of these Freedom-Seekers ended up on a Marketing path? Certain industries are suited to different psychological types, and the process of creating a bond between consumer and brand is one that suits an outside-the-box mentality, which Freedom-, Purpose-, and Pleasure-Seekers are known to have. This industry used to be run with a very Security- and Achievement-oriented perspective, selling people the concept of safety and success through attainable items. However, since the dawn of social media (and by association, shorter attention spans,) the equation to solve for loyal customers is a bit more complicated, and Zenzi has shown up with a calculator of our own making. 

If your company is interested in understanding your team, brand, or audience values, start by taking our Values Survey and get in touch for a more in-depth analysis!