Just what is it that makes the Christmas and holiday season so special? And what does Telekom brand and Herbert Grönemeyer have to do with it? Thoughts about values und corporate attitude …
When the year draws to a close, we tend to focus on what's really important – ties with family and friends, our health, social togetherness, mutual respect, solicitude, and the sharing of things that we have in abundance in our society. A focus on the values that make a society a good, humane community – that's what makes the holiday season so special.
Values – and people who stand up for them – are essential to people and communities. Values and attitudes define how we live today. And they determine the direction we take on our path to a common future and how we travel that path together.
"Tumult". That's the name of the new album from Herbert Grönemeyer. Tumult is the musicans word for the current state of our society. It's a nervous, turbulent time. Many assumed certainties are falling away. And much of what we have believed to be true and self-evident is being called into question. That's how the 62-year-old artist describes the background of his new work. What does that mean for us as individuals? "You have to show your true colors, raise your voice", is the musician's plea.
Companies can provide orientation
Our society is in the midst of a fundamental structural transformation. It is increasingly characterized by individualized lifestyles and cultures. Our socio-political system is faltering, threatening every aspect how we deal with one another – including the economy. Companies will have to actively shape this transformation in the future. Assume our role in society and take a stand. Companies can create a sense of identity, provide orientation, and classify and clarify socio-political interrelations.
In a world that is so heavily affected by change and transformation like ours is right now, corporate duty takes on additional significance. A company like Deutsche Telekom has to show – and even more importantly, prove – which values are important to us and which socio-political stands we are taking. Telekom has to make it clear where its place in society is and what it can do specifically for society.
Deutsche Telekom's brand promise is "Life is for sharing.": It is a promise to its customers. Deutsche Telekom is more than just a company that provides society with high-quality network infrastructure. It enables participation in a digital world, with its products and services providing the entry point. And the companies networks are the basis for ensuring that everyone can participate at any time.
“Offline is the new fear” proclaimed Telekom’s Chief Brand Officer, Hans-Christian Schwingen, recently – and reaped broad support for his hypothesis. We mustn't allow people to be left behind. We mustn't have a digital society with two or even more tiers.
Capture the opportunities posed by digitalization
Tim Höttges put it this way: We want to get everyone to #TAKEPART. We want to empower all people for digital participation and prevent a digital divide. We want to help them capture the opportunities posed by digitalization and open new horizons in an interconnected world. With this conviction, we want to devote our full strengths to get as many people on board as possible in our evolution toward a digital society.
Values and a clear stand – that's what the Deutsche Telekom brand stands for. It stands for optimism instead of isolationism; for closeness instead of distance; for equal digital opportunities for the many, not for the few. Telekom is investing billions of euros in its networks and the services that run on them. Telekom is doing everything to meet people's expectations. Everyone should be #TAKEPART.
