Brands From The Top to the Bottom

One of the biggest challenges for a marketer is to get buy in from the rest of the company and the hardest ones to get are executives on the top and the team in the field at the bottom of the pecking order.

Let’s start at the top, if your company’s principals are not on the same page with the brand, culture, and vision for the company, it can be near impossible to differentiate your firm and have a unique culture. Ideally, the owners & decision makers are the ones driving the culture, but we all know that doesn’t happen most of the time. You need to get the decision makers at the top engaged by involving them in the creation of the culture. When the top brass supports something, the rest will follow.

Why is it so hard to get the field employees on board? Many times it is because they haven’t been with the company for long – they’re young and looking for a company to grow with or they’re older and moved from company to company and never calling any company home. Another reason is the lack of connection with the office and therefore lack of communication and training on the brand. As part of the toolbox chats, include a segment on the brand and what it means to work for your company. Just like with the executives on top, get some of the field employees engaged and involved in creating the brand message, vision, and culture. Make the entire team understand they are the brand, not the logo. The logo needs to be uniform & used correctly because it is the visualization of the brand. Each employee and every interaction they have with co-workers, customers, prospects and the community builds the brand experience. Everyone needs to take ownership of the brand to have a successful brand culture.

It is okay to include new hires too. Last year when developing our vision for our parent company, we had two new hires contribute in their first week on the job. They have a different perspective, aren’t tied to your past and can tell you why they choose to work at your company. This also helped them feel involved and important. After your culture is established (I know it’s dynamic and always evolving, but mostly set here), make sure you include in your new employee orientation what it means to work for this company and the brand’s expectations.

Most issues with internal branding and culture are due to lack of communication from the top down, down up, and between different locations. Connect your company with newsletters, intranets, events, competitions, and even social media where you can have a private Facebook group for employees.

What are some ways you get the entire company on the same page in regards to the brand and culture?