Why Internal Branding Strategy Is Important

Sep 07, 2018 — Branding

Sir Richard Branson, the founder of Virgin, said, “Clients do not come first. Employees come first. If you take care of your employees, they will take care of the clients.” The success depends largely on the employees. Whether it is a customer care representative or an assistant HR, employees contribute toward the success. If employees are driven, motivated, and engaged fully with your brand, they will make the organization to great heights. For building a successful brand and sustainable business, the inside-out approach is essential. That is where the internal branding strategy comes into the picture. Internal branding ensures the employees are connected to the external brand, driven by the company’s mission, and their contribution has been valued. Bringing the core philosophy and identity to the employees would enable employees to contribute toward the success of the organization. Following are some of the steps to make employees brand ambassadors and help them realize their full potential:

Define vision & mission:

Defining vision & mission and conveying it to the employees will give them a sense of purpose to their roles. This makes a significant difference as employees will be driven by the mindset of “I am contributing to something bigger”, instead of “I am here to earn my wages and go home”. The vision and mission are what employees can identify them with, and these values & philosophies will make the company unique.

Engagement of employees:

Internal branding is about the people in your company. It is driven by people. So, asking employees for feedback on how to improve processes and giving inputs regarding shaping the brand for making the organization more efficient than before. Open discussion forums, employee surveys, and Q&A sessions increase engagements and give a sense of ownership to employees. Moreover, assign dedicated people among employees to communicate with other employees as employees are well-receptive to positivity from fellow employees than management. This will increase the engagement and help the organization grow.

Create an internal identity and align with external:

The external brand has a logo, font, tagline, look & feel of the website, and key statements. Similarly, give an internal brand name. A memorable internal brand identity aligning with external identity would breathe ‘meaning’ into everyday roles of employees. While designing the internal brand identity, it is essential for employees to realize how these two relate. Delivering some message to customers and delivering another message to employees will create confusion and disorient employees from the purpose of the brand.

Convey internal brand strategy:

There should be a unique approach to convey an internal brand strategy to employees. A memo and an odd poster will not do the trick. Organizations need to connect with employees and explain the message. Launch workshop, townhall announcement, or internal brand launch party would help in conveying detailed information and enhance employee engagement with the brand. Define it simply and make it easy to understand. In addition, the message should resonate with people.

Recognition and reward:

After a successful initial launch, it is essential to motivate people to achieve more. The continuous reinforcement from the high management is important to keep employees motivated. Recognize the efforts of high and productive performers. Share the stories and demonstrate that the organization values contribution of each employee. Take initiatives to design an incentive plan and reward employees with creative tags that show their achievements.

Devising an internal brand strategy is as important as an external brand strategy as employees play a huge role in the success of the brand. Being one of the leading branding agencies in Pune, Kaizen Design Studio helps brands in creating an internal branding strategy to motivate employees and realize their maximum potential.