We all know that people are the most valuable business assets we have and that they can influence how your brand is perceived from the outside, but how can we ensure they’re on the bus when it comes to the company vision?
Outside of employee experience, processes and other operational activities, much of what drives internal alignment as to where the business is going, is the result of communicating a clear brand strategy from the top down. In other words, explaining what you stand for, the value that you provide your audience, and how to maintain a consistent customer experience through your communication channels.
Does your team understand the strategy?
Improving (or creating) your brand communication as part of your overall marketing strategy often includes developing a brand story – something tangible for your staff and customers to connect with. However, when developing that strategy, telling that story in an engaging and effective way inside the business often falls short.
Your employees should be your best brand ambassadors who are ultimately delivering your customer experience, so having your team be a part of the strategy is important. Great in theory, but is this the reality? Imagine the power of having all your team aligned to your brand communication strategy, so that no matter where your customers are engaging with your business, they have the same experience every time.
Consistent message
Keeping consistent with your brand message is critical because it creates cohesion among the team and ensures you don’t deviate in the way you communicate with your audience. It sets an expectation.
Whether you have a team of 5 of fifty, one office or multiple locations, it’s worth getting everyone aligned with your brand strategy and clearly communicating your message. If your business is growing and you’re hiring new people, think about how to ensure everyone is on the same page when it comes to your brand, rather than simply thinking people will naturally embrace it.
5 things that can help understand your brand
Brand positioning
Is your team completely across how you’re positioned in the market and what makes you unique? What territory can you own and how do you communicate it succinctly?
Value proposition
How do you serve your customers better and why should they choose you? It seems common sense, but ensuring that your team understands how to communicate is essential to stand out from your competition. It may mean developing a employee value proposition too.
Brand values
What values do you live by as a business every day – does your team believe in them? Are they present in your customer experience? How do you communicate them so your team understands them, rather than simply regurgitating them when asked (or alternatively, not remember them at all)?
Tone of voice
Having a genuine and authentic tone of voice ensures that your customers get a feel for the kind of business you are and whether it resonates with them. Is that tone of voice used consistently across all communication touch-points?
It’s all in the delivery
The way you communicate all this to your team is important. How can you ensure you engage with them in a way that they truly understand. Consider how it will be remembered on a day to day basis.
Final thought
Whatever brand communication strategy you land on, be authentic and honest with it. Most importantly, be consistent and ensure that once you have one, it is presented effectively and confidently to the entire team. Make sure they’re on the bus.
“Measuring the success of a brand communication strategy can be difficult. Working with Jamie and the clan made a clear intangible difference with our team, that we now all understand why we do what we do and were able to share this to clients and prospects. It neatly packaged ‘our story’. Being articulate on the culture we had developed, but not put in words made it not negotiable, which everyone got behind.”
Brian Bramble, CEO. Clifton Accountants
Please drop us a line if you’d like to know more about how to approach your brand communication strategy and effectively deliver your brand story to your team.
