Crafting a strong internal brand

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All that money you spend on external marketing could be going to waste.

Are you putting the same amount of investment into your internal branding? If not, then you need to take action because your internal branding is just as important as your external branding.

Internal branding can be defined as “the set of strategic processes that align and empower employees to deliver the appropriate customer experience in a consistent fashion”. No matter their role, all employees have the ability to influence and affect the customer perception of a brand – whether a director or receptionist.

Those who work for the business represent the brand and everything it stands for. It’s crucial that you focus your efforts on defining the organisation’s internal culture and telling your story so that employees understand this and maintain a consistent customer experience.

External branding is wasted if those that work for the company aren’t engaged. How can customers believe in the brand if those that work for it don’t support it?

Get employees involved and find out what they think. Leaders within the company and those across the business at all levels who truly live and breathe the brand can act as advocates or champions.

Essentially a business makes a brand promise that is aligned with their culture. If the customer’s expectations are not met at any key touch point, they could turn elsewhere. For example, if a customer phoned your business with an enquiry only to be greeted by a rude and unhelpful employee, this creates a poor customer experience and ultimately a lost customer. Your external branding might be outstanding, but this will all be lost if your internal brand isn’t up to scratch.

The internal brand can be instilled into employees through the onboarding process. A company handbook can be a great way to do this – be creative with it and ensure your personality shines through in every element from the tone of voice to the images selected. Even the workplace should be representative of the internal brand.

Another useful tool are brand guidelines, this ensures your entire team are clear on how the business and those who are employed there should represent themselves. Everything you do affirms the perception of the brand in the eyes of employees and customers.

To find out more about internal branding and the services we offer, head here. Alternatively give us a call on 01202 727070 to chat through your requirements.