Marketing executives are almost exclusively focused on the outside marketplace and have traditionally placed the majority of their attention and resources on external brand performance.
So what’s the other half of total brand performance? According to Dr. Tom Nelson of Lodestar Marketing Corporation, a pioneer in marketing and brand performance measurement and ROI assessment, much of the authenticity that drives the brand’s total performance takes place inside the organization—specifically in the hearts and minds of employees. Ignoring their role in the delivery equation can leave significant gaps in the customer brand experience.
Nelson cites three factors that drive internal brand performance:
- Employee brand engagement—defined by the employee’s willingness and ability to deliver on the brand’s promise.
- Internal brand culture—a working ecosystem that actively supports their efforts.
- The employer brand—the brand’s reputation among all stakeholders; current employees, existing customers, and future employee/customer prospects.
Nelson stresses that employees need help in becoming more engaged with the brand and companies must provide systems and support to create brand awareness, authenticity and action. He implies that marketers should not ignore employees who are living the brand and stresses that they should be rewarded and recognized for their efforts.
I could not agree more. HR is uniquely positioned to help employees focus on the brand. HR executives have the communication tools and techniques they need to help employees focus on the meaning and value of the brand. Specifically, recognition and reward systems reinforce behaviors that make the brand come alive in the marketplace.
Sad to say but its true one reason why employee’s quit their current job is that they believed the organization didn’t recognized all the hard works and contribution they made.
Comment by Emily White — July 23, 2012 @ 3:57 am