For many employers, ‘branding’ has meant the management of tangible assets like logotypes, typefaces, corporate colors, digital interactions, advertising, corporate and promotional collateral and, more recently, events and brand experiences. As a result, ‘brand strategy’ has tended to sit in the corporate communications and marketing departments, promoting external engagement with customers and clients and driving sales. But that is only part of the story.
Like it or not, a positive brand reputation – for that is the ultimate goal – is equally dependent on ‘brand culture’, those less tangible, harder to manage, people-based assets. And that puts HR firmly on the front line with ‘branding’ and ‘brand strategy’ their responsibility too.
Brand culture is a unique blend of psychology, ideas, attitudes and beliefs informing brand behavior, influencing brand experience, and ultimately shaping brand reputation. It is the spirit of an organization lived and disseminated by everyone throughout the organization.
HR provides the ideal forum for investigating, defining and influencing brand culture. By involving employees in the process, not only can HR create the essential traction for vibrant, strategically adept brand expressions, it can also reduce the ‘not invented here’ resistance that is the downfall of many a new branding initiative.
By using workshops, training, internal communications, motivational experiences and benchmarking to inspire, lead and measure brand success, HR can generate a virtuous circle of brand advocates, brand performance and brand reputation. Experience also shows that by taking on the mantle of internal brand experts, the status of the HR department itself can be enhanced.
So, here are tips for creating a dynamic brand culture from within:
- Put brand culture at the heart of recruitment to reinforce the brand and ensure its longevity.
- Manage change sensitively. Reduce anxiety and resistance by communicating credible reasons for change frequently and keeping it clear, simple and realistic.
- Encourage creative thinking, innovation and an entrepreneurial spirit at every level of your organization. A workforce with a dynamic and agile culture is better equipped to solve problems and navigate future challenges.
- Find ways to recognize and reward employees who ‘live the brand’, both internally and in their interactions with clients and customers.
- Use HR’s pivotal position to engage the organization, top to bottom, in the branding process.
- Make sure processes are ‘human’: simple, practical and energizing
- Make learning and living the brand engaging, experiential and interactive.
- Turning Your Employees Into Positive Brand Advocates
- So how do you turn your employees into positive brand advocates for your senior living organization?
Get The Work Culture Right
Start by identifying the work culture and values that you want your employees to embody. Hire people that fit into this value system. And then identify ways for management to uphold this positive work culture.
Reward Great Behavior
Spend some time and money celebrating the achievements, milestones and great behavior that your employees exhibit. Upfront, it may seem like an investment on your end, but a happy employee makes an excellent brand ambassador.
Make Communication A Priority
Employees should be encouraged to approach management with any concerns they have. Open dialogue is important. Also, make sure that employees are first to find out about upcoming events, awards the company has received, etc. If they have to find it out through the grapevine, they’re sure to feel like they aren’t valued, and are more likely to talk negatively about the organization.
Encourage Social Media Participation
Social media has made it easier than ever for people to quickly share their thoughts both positive and negative online. If you encourage your employees to stay active on social media, and you arm them with the necessary tools to have an accurate professional profile on LinkedIn, you are one step closer to a cohesive online brand identity. Also, getting your employees to share your company’s Facebook statuses, tweets, photos, etc. will only help promote your brand awareness.
Make It Easy To Share Their Experience
Give your employees the tools they need to share their brand experience online. If you have an upcoming event, supply them with the appropriate graphics to share on their personal social media profile. Place social sharing buttons on each page of your website and blog to make the sharing of content effortless. Give them the links to your online directory listings where they can share the positive experiences they have had with your organization.
Culture can either immunize or infect a company. Good culture can revitalize and motivate. Negative culture increases employee absences and turnover while decreasing their overall productivity while at work. All of which can lead to a loss of income. Employee turnover alone can cost a company anywhere from 30-50 percent of an entry-level employee’s annual salary.
