The values of a brand can be partially built through communication, as the classical approach to branding shows, but staff, or more precisely the organisation’s culture, are also critical contributors to a brand’s functional and emotional values.
Internal brand management is seen by many as a potential route to acquiring sustainable competitive advantage through building a strong brand. Brand building has traditionally concentrated on finding untapped customer opportunities and then devising externally focused strategies — insufficient attention has been paid to staff as brand builders.
With service companies especially, an up-to-date and deep understanding of the brand by virtually all employees is critical.
A strong internal brand has several benefits:
- A clear, compelling internal brand provides direction and motivation to employees and partners.
- the internal brand can also inspire employees to find and implement creative, breakthrough brand-building programs to stretch for a big idea.
- An employee base that is energized by a strong brand will be motivated to talk about the brand to others.
- A brand with a vision that includes a higher purpose is likely to provide employees with meaning and even fulfilment in the job.
- An activated internal brand strategy can support the organizational culture, which can be the foundation of a strategy and its implementation.
The personality that you’d like to project to the world will have an important internal dimension too; your personality should be reflected in the people you hire. They are, after all, the living embodiment of all that you value
Passion for the brand throughout the company is a very important factor, initiated by an active role of the entrepreneur him/herself to achieving brand recognition.
Reference: A Leslie de Chernatony (2001). Model for Strategically Building Brands. Henry Stewart Publications, 1350-231X Brand Management, 9(1), 32–44
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