The Right Group

Guest Article from the Right Group.

Your brand represents your company, but how well does your company represent your brand?

Undoubtedly the word ‘brand’ conjures up a variety of meanings and a confused understanding of what it is and its value. However, in an increasingly competitive market place many organisations are recognising the value of a strong corporate and employer brand. Evidence is compelling that those companies who do believe that branding is inextricably aligned to business strategy and who are operationalising their brand through all aspects of their business; people, products, services and communications are reaping the rewards with improved staff and customer loyalty and improved business performance.

As a strategic asset an organisation’s brand is essentially a business strategy for gaining both customer and employee trust and loyalty. Directly correlated to brand trust are long-term employee and customer relationships. Successful brand driven organisations such as Virgin, Bunnings Warehouse and Hanson exemplify the benefit of having a clearly defined brand strategy with high customer and employee retention and strong profits.

An organisation that establishes a strong defensible brand, links its brand initiatives and employee value proposition (EVP) to overall business strategy and delivers on the brand promise, will achieve substantial positive bottom line impact. However, this can not be achieved by simple rhetoric or a large advertising and communications budget. The real value of a brand and its ability to deliver experience commensurate with the promise can only be realised through employee engagement. Developing an employment brand involves making an all year roundcommitment throughout all facets of your company. It needs to be viewed as an integral component of how business is carried out.

The link between talent and brand is strong. Increasingly, senior management is recognising that there is little value in investing large sums in advertising and external communications, if the reality of employee behaviour undermines those well honed external messages of product and service superiority. Realistically organisations shouldn’t hire just anybody, no matter how impressive their CV. They should be hiring people who really believe in what the company wants to achieve and what it stands for. These people are the ones who delight customers, who go the extra mile, who are walking the talk, and who ensure that brand promises are delivered.

The return on investment of an aligned workforce, coupled with the competitive advantage that can be gained through the recruitment and retention of the best people in the market through the development of a strong employee value proposition (EVP), has led to a refocusing of effort and investment from the external to the internal.

Brand should and must be seen as a ‘whole of business’ concern and in particular, a human resources activity. It is about selecting the right people, developing their skills, building commitment and nurturing talent within the organisation. Many of the companies we work with view their brands as central to the development of organisational value, and are developing their brand alignment and ‘living the brand’ programmes, which focus on integrating communications, human resources and other functions. When this is done effectively the brand becomes valuable for both employees and customers.

Established in 1995, The Right Group is an international business consultancy specialising in Company and Employer Branding, Research and People & Culture. For further information please visit our website (click here) or call David Kent, Managing Director on 08 9486 9400.

The Right Group is also very pleased to have forged a partnership with Wrays, a company that shares our values and unwavering focus on providing clients with leading edge consultancy services that improve business performance.