INSIGHTS

A Brand Behavior Roadmap ... or the Challenge of Making Brand Values Come to Life

The terms employed in internal brand management are diverse: Internal Branding, Behavioral Branding, Brand Engagement, or even Brand Driven Change Management. In essence they all deal with the relationship between the brand and its employees and hence the question: How do we make the brand come to life? Here, a roadmap can provide a conceptual framework that goes beyond individual creative measures, yet still leave room for a pragmatic approach.

From Internal Branding to Brand-Behavior

Internal Branding is synonymous with internal brand management, an integrated management process in which the brand is anchored internally – with a strong impact on both external customers and stakeholders. This approach poses companies with a number of significant challenges because Internal Branding affects a whole range of the brand's impact dimensions – starting with internal product development and communications through to corporate culture and employee conduct. Experience has shown prioritizing and focusing on specific aspects to be a constructive approach here. Furthermore, it is essential that definitions and the expectations that accompany them are clarified and clearly delineated from the outset. In those cases where the main concern is the alignment of the brand with employee conduct, the focus should be on leadership principles and overall Human Capital Management orientation toward the brand. A key structural requirement here is close collaboration between the often still separately functioning branding and HR operations. Ideally, HR should also be seen as a proactive strategic contributor in supporting the brand. As the expression Internal Branding does not specifically reflect the behavioral component, the term Brand Behavior is more appropriate in this context. Depending on the corporate self-awareness, it may be expedient to relabel the term “brand” by putting greater focus on values and referring to a cultural initiative, or a Customer Centricity Initiative. Regardless of the label, the process still involves the content and the characteristics of the brand that are being utilized as management tools.

Analyze the situation and define the targets

Motives behind Brand Behavior processes may differ considerably and so it is essential from the outset to identify accurately whether the process was triggered by a new corporate strategy, mergers and acquisitions, reorganization, restructuring of the brand portfolio, revitalizing a brand, new customer needs, image issues or desired changes in corporate culture. Different scenarios call for dedicated objectives, approaches and measures. The following suggestions briefly outline the key roadmap topics which can be used as modules to match the priorities. Guidance is also provided on the topic's strategic and conceptual structure, with the level of detail in the different modules varying from case to case.

The Brand-Behavior roadmap

1. Fundamentals

In the initial phase, the brand strategy and the related brand story are grouped into four modules: Messaging, Leadership, Customer-Centricity and Employer Branding. All have the individual employee as their focal point. Each of the four modules has the same objective: To make the brand relevant in the employee's daily work routine in order for the brand to come alive for external stakeholders. These separate modules and combination of them provide overall strategies that leave scope for pragmatic approaches with quick-win opportunities.

Messaging: Defining core messages for all activities

The objective here is to generate core messages for other management instruments and communications which convey the central theme of the change message. This includes internal target group segmentation, the brand story (if not yet available) as an emotional and narrated transmission of brand values, as well as target group-specific core messages. Here, modular text blocks used as quick-wins in presentations and speeches can generate an almost immediate impact.

Leadership: Establishing leadership principles

Translating the brand values into leadership principles. To do so, a consensus on the role of executives and specific rules of conduct is essential. These principles can then be integrated into train-the-trainer toolkits, enabling executive staff to become brand ambassadors.

Customer Centricity: Clarifying customer experience standards

Here, the brand values are defined as corporate conduct standards for employees and integrated into service standards. These include support in advisory processes as well as customer care, and also complaints management. They are not intended as a restrictive framework, but meant to sensitize and empower employees.

Employer Branding: Honing employer profiles and identifying contact points for employees.

In this module the brand's strategic fundamentals are aligned with instruments employed by Human Capital Management. Experience shows that it is only possible to achieve brand-oriented conduct with the “right” employees, those who are suited to the brand. It follows therefore, that Employer Branding acts as an important catalyst for Brand Behavior. Brand Behavior and Employer Branding both focus on the employee and thus have a common base. Whereas Employer Branding is primarily concerned with positioning the brand as an attractive employer offering the appropriate opportunities and benefits, Brand Behavior formulates the desired employee conduct toward internal and external stakeholders. Both processes complement each other and form part of an integrated Brand & Talent Management. Aimed at smoothing the path toward Brand Behavior, this module includes developing the employer positioning as perceived by the job market target groups as well as identifying the contact points and tools with which employees will come in contact along their Employee Journey (employee life cycle) from recruitment onwards. It is also vital to define future HR offers (working models, etc.) as proof points in the employer positioning.

2. Designing HR tools along the Employee-Journey

Linking up with the basic modules it is important to design and develop the individual HR instruments along the Employee Journey. These range from interview guidelines for recruitment to revised job profiles through to brand-based competency models for employee assessments.

3. The benefits of further topical modules

Depending on the circumstances, further topics connected with Brand Behavior may also be oriented toward the brand. Since brand management is still largely viewed as a classic communications discipline, many companies have a long way to go before they can tap into potential synergies. Exploiting innovation or ideas management, for example, has the benefit that it can be used to generate a relevant KPI on employee commitment and conduct by measuring submitted and implemented employee ideas.

4. Communication: Orchestrating the message

Based on the internal target group segmentation, communication measures can be implemented in phases according to priorities. Using a story module here as a quick-win can create almost immediate visibility. Cinematic and photographic short stories and success stories around the brand that have personal and emotional relevance for employees can be deployed in a variety of media – starting with the Intranet through to presentations. Existing, but also new forms of internal communication can be revised and expanded coherent with the basic modules. Depending on the circumstances, a further internal initiative or campaign (e.g. by using a microsite) can send out strong signals and create additional emotional identification.

5. Assessment: Evaluating ongoing performance

A proven approach is to combine a variety of instruments in order to assess performance. This includes employing internal corporate instruments such as ideas/innovation management through to the classic employee questionnaire. It is also vital to include external indicators since ultimately it is customers who should benefit from managed behavioral patterns. As such, customer satisfaction along with additional indicators from the employer market should be factored in.

A possible approach

The ideal procedure will take both the systematic approach and the key significance of quick wins and their almost immediate impact within the company into consideration.

The most important strategy: Continuous change in small increments

The following six topics have proven to be key factors toward successful implementation:

1. Recruitment (Employer Branding): The desired change can only be achieved with employees suited to the brand. Employer Branding is an important driver of Brand Behavior.

2. Employee assessment: Including brand values in competency models and evaluation systems aims at specific conduct and creates a binding fundament.

3. Ideas management: Contributions responding to the question “What must be changed so I can do my job successfully in accordance with the strategy?” lead to specific improvements.

4. Toolkit for team workshops: Change starts with small things and thus also with individual employees and team structures. The first small steps can be achieved by using the appropriate work instruments.

5. Leadership training: Leadership is an essential topic and must be addressed. Top priority must be given to empowering management executives.

6. Success stories: Emotional identification with best cases helps create role models. Cases that come to life with the help of film portraits and short stories.

And finally, here as with brand management in general, it's not the individual short-term projects that lead to enduring success. The important thing is to create a sustainable process that, by taking small incremental steps leads to a path of continuous improvement and lasting success.

Pascal Geissbühler is Creative Director with the brand consultancy Branders in Zurich.

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INSIGHTS

A Brand Behavior Roadmap ... or the Challenge of Making Brand Values Come to Life

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