Brands have many touchpoints. People are the key one. Once an organisation has developed their brand strategy it is integral that they engage employees in their brand story. Without employees understanding, believing and being engaged in the brand story there is little hope for organisation’s to ever deliver on their brand promise. Without team engagement, all the other touchpoints may be in sync but the customer experience will not.
Gallup identified that engaged workplaces experienced 147% higher earnings per share compared with those that are not. They also found that most companies are only delivering on their brand promises 50% of the time and that only 27% of employees “strongly agreed” that they always deliver on the promises they make to their customers. Do your employees understand your brand promise?
Tony Hsieh, CEO of Zappos, believes interactions between employees and customers are key to building a strong brand. “Our whole belief is if you get the culture right, then most of the other stuff, like delivering great customer service or building a long-term brand or business will just be a natural byproduct” (Chicago Tribune, 2014). The proof is in the experience – it is about aligning the brand across all touchpoints and being who you say you are. Authentic and transparent.
So, when developing a brand strategy, start with your team. Get everyone involved from day one and take them on the journey. People drive the brand. Culture is key to aligning your organisation with your brand strategy. You need to engage – bottom up and top down. In doing so you will have more success executing your strategy and achieving results.
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