At Brand Federation, we believe every organization has a driving force—a sense of purpose so compelling it moves people to action. That conviction is the brand. It’s not a logo or a tagline. It’s the core identity of an organization—what it stands for and why it matters.
We help organizations define that conviction—and ensure it is expressed through every experience, message and decision. Because when what a brand says and what it does don’t align, trust is eroded. And without trust, there is no brand.
As we celebrate this Juneteenth, we reflect on what it means to live into our convictions—not just in word, but in practice.
Juneteenth marks a turning point in American history. It commemorates the day in 1865 when the last enslaved Americans learned they had been freed—two and a half years after the Emancipation Proclamation. It was a delayed justice, but a moment when the country began to take a meaningful step toward designing into the convictions it had long proclaimed: to be a government of the people and by the people—a government that believed all people are created equal and endowed with inalienable rights.
Since then, progress has never been linear. But again and again, voices have risen to remind us that a country built on these promises must be held accountable to them.
Today, we find ourselves at another inflection point. Around the country, we are witnessing a departure from the U.S.’s declared convictions—families separated, civil liberties violated and human dignity denied. So, tomorrow as we close for the Juneteenth holiday and give our team time to reflect and celebrate with their families, we’re also using this moment to declare, unequivocally, that this holiday is not just about marking the past. It’s about shaping the future. It’s about ensuring our country continues building toward the ideals it declared at its founding. And it’s about reminding our leaders—at every level—that they are accountable to those ideals.
We do this not only because it’s the right thing to do, but because it aligns with the convictions we’ve built Brand Federation on. To speak the truth—even when it’s inconvenient. To lead with kindness, listen with open minds and speak with candor.
Kindness, open-mindedness, candor—these aren’t abstract notions. They’re values embedded in how we work, how we collaborate and how we show up for the organizations we serve. They’re at the heart of who we are.
So today, tomorrow and every day, we will stay true to our organizational convictions. We will live our values. And we will keep doing the hard, necessary work of helping build a more just, equitable and humane future.
Rian Chandler-Dovis is an accomplished researcher and brand strategist with two decades of experience helping organizations define what they stand for and deliver meaningful experiences. She has developed strategies for some of the world’s best-known brands, including MIT, Harvard Medical School, GM, American Express, Mercy Corps, Samsung, PepsiCo, the World Wildlife Fund, AB InBev, and Colgate.
