In an increasingly service-led economy, companies spend more and more on their marketing and branding. Competition is rife, consumer choice is vast and customers ’ expectations continue to rise and rise. Companies respond by investing in their branding, to maximise opportunities and to ensure they deliver a consistent, valuable and differentiated experience. This can include investing in the design of a new or updated corporate identity, literature, websites, direct mail, signage, product lists, etc, etc. The list goes on, as does the invoicing from your design agency.
But branding is not just about your corporate identity. It’s about your people.
Branding is too often perceived as purely an issue for the marketing department. In reality it should be a consideration of all employees within the organisation. This is because what really matters is the customer experience and this customer experience is unequivocally influenced by direct contact with your employees. Furthermore, it is the strength of this customer experience that will influence the long-term strength of your brand.
When done properly, branding should undoubtedly involve the functions of Marketing and Human Resources. Working closely together, these two functions can achieve phenomenal results, the goal of course being the development of brand ambassadors right across your organisation, rather than just in the marketing department.
This however is no mean feat and you may need to start right at the beginning with your recruitment processes. For example:
- Do your selection processes include the facility to check whether candidates have the right “fit” with your organisation’s culture and values?
- Does your induction programme include a focus on the company’s brand, what it stands for, and what it means for customers and staff?
In addition, what about training, management development, systems and processes … have they been developed with your values as a key driver? If not, it could well be the case that your brand experience does not live up to your brand promise. Not ideal when you consider that people will generally tell one or two people about a good experience, but will tell seven to ten people about a bad experience.
Effective and ongoing training and communication with your staff will improve your chances of success. Talk to them about your company’s vision. Involve them in the branding process. Ask them for their opinions and get them to contribute to changes, developments and improvements.
Ultimately, you will have a workforce that lives and breathes your company values, reinforcing the brand on a daily basis. The alternative is a less positive scenario - where employee attitudes and behaviours will directly conflict with your company’s intended messages and promises. And what’s the point in spending thousands or even millions on promoting your brand externally to customers and shareholders, when it is barely understood or supported by internal staff?
For further information contact Cliff Sewell or Phil Hill at Sewell Moorhouse - an independent accounting, financial and administrative recruitment consultancy with offices in Sheffield, Doncaster and Leeds.
