Why Does The Modern Brand Put People First? Read more.

What makes a brand? For a long time, it’s been a logo, a colour palette, a typeface or a slogan. This traditional approach may make a brand recognisable however it can also feel stagnant within a fast-moving world. The brand characteristics outlined above are largely reflective of how a brand wants to be seen – not how it’s built in order to engage with people.

Traditional branding then starts to feel like keeping up appearances. How the brand presents itself to the world becomes tied up in a tightly wound series of rules codified in a brand bible or style guide, frequently with little to no input outside of senior leadership as well as the design team.

These restrictions can alienate teams who are often reined in by these constraints lest they ‘misrepresent ‘the brand, and limit marketing’s ability to show up in interesting, transformative ways as consumer needs evolve. And so over the course of years – or decades – the brand stagnates, at least until it’s time to hit refresh with a new coat of paint.

Technology may be changing our lives and work beyond recognition, however the hardware and software that run our world are still dependent on human innovation. Attracting and retaining the top tier of entrepreneurial and technical talent is a cornerstone for any start-up and many established companies.

How To Build A People-First Brand

Get Frequent Feedback From Your Employees

Want to know if your employees feel that their company puts them first? Ask them. You could be surprised at what employees say. In addition, the simple fact of asking your workforce about what drives them will demonstrate you value their input.

There are several different ways in which you can do this:

• Employee forums,
• Feedback boxes, or
• Encouraging line managers to communicate regularly their employees.

Also, pulse surveys are a great option as they give you the opportunity to get quicker feedback and take remedial action.

Just make sure that you show you’re listening by communicating what and how you’re changing – as well as the rationale if some things are not able to be changed right now.

Go To The Leadership Team

You need to develop a set of values which every single person in the company knows and also feels in their everyday experience. Assist your leadership team to identify these values and work together in order to make sure that you build consistent practices and policies which reflect these values across the company.

In addition, you need to walk the talk. It’s quite discouraging for employees when they see leadership saying one thing however do the opposite. If you value collaboration, ensure that each voice is heard and feels valued on the team.

You want employees to achieve a positive work-life balance, and yet the folks with leadership positions have a tendency to put the company ahead of their personal lives. Creating a people-first, sustainable business model begins at the top with the leadership team exhibiting behaviour that reflects these values.

Apply External Marketing Techniques Internally

In a cutthroat job market, offering a stable position for a good salary is no longer enough. Organisations need to work so much harder not only to draw in talent, but to keep it as well. Making sure your people feel that they are valued and putting them first is essential for this. That’s why it’s crucial that HR and business leaders adopt the same standards that their marketing colleagues do.

Notify your employees of any brand new policies, benefits, work practices and let them feedback to you as well. Listen to them, consider good ideas, enact and promote them. Think also about your tone of voice as well as how this reflects your values. You must be genuine, credible, distinctive and attractive for existing and potential workers to listen and ‘buy into’ your employer brand.

Get in touch with the Digital School of Marketing

Do you want to become a brand management expert? If you do then you need to do our Brand Management Course. Follow this link to find out more.