If you’re growing a business, you know that having a strong brand is crucial. It’s the role of your brand strategy to position you, help you stand out from the competition, build visibility and trust with customers.

But the benefits of a strong brand don’t stop at external communications. Your well-crafted brand strategy should have immense impact on your company culture. In fact, it’s mission critical. Because it’s key to delivering customer experience.

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Benefits of a brand-driven culture

A report from the Association for Talent Development tells us, ‘a strong internal brand can create a sense of pride and unity among employees, which in turn leads to increased motivation, productivity, and customer satisfaction.’

This is one of an increasing number of studies linking a strong brand with strong culture. It’s easy to see why this is the case – employees who embrace a company’s brand purpose and values are more likely to be motivated to deliver on the brand’s promise and to go above and beyond for customers.

‘80% of executives said organisations with a shared purpose command greater customer loyalty. 89% said such businesses will have greater employee satisfaction.’
EY / HBR

Attract top talent with a compelling brand

In addition to boosting employee engagement and retention, a strong brand-driven culture can also help a company attract top talent. Companies with a clear and compelling brand message are more likely to attract employees who are aligned with the company's values and mission.

When you’re looking looking to attract top-tier candidates in the talent market, this is powerful. Plus, when you think about it — doesn’t it makes sense to hire and reward people who strongly identify with your (clearly-articulated) values and purpose. And maybe filter out, by self selection, those who are unlikely identify with your culture.

‘Your brand is a key factor in attracting top talent. It reflects the culture and values of the organisation and can be a powerful magnet for the best and brightest.’
David Aaker

Building a cohesive company culture – What’s the role of brand?

Your brand strategy can drive overall business performance, helping to create a cohesive and consistent culture within the company. When employees are aligned with the company’s brand, its values and purpose, they’re more likely to work together effectively and to share the company’s goals. This leads to increased productivity and improved business performance. It’s a virtuous circle.

‘Your brand is a living, breathing entity that is shaped by your culture, values, and behavior. A strong brand reflects a strong culture and vice versa.’
Rohit Bhargava
Non-Obvious: How To Think Different, Curate Ideas & Predict The Future

How is my internal brand different to my external brand

It’s not. And, it must not be. Okay — You may, and should, have an EVP (Employee Value Proposition). But this should be seamless with your brand strategy. If it is developed separately by for example HR, while marketing is working on a ‘marketing’ brand, you’re in dangerous territory. Believe it or not, I've seen this more than I’d like. Even lists of ‘internal values’ that differ from the external. This way lies madness.

Think about it. If you, as a person, espoused different values in different situations, you might be accused of speaking out of both sides of your mouth, or worse. Values are only alive when they become behaviours. So similarly, if you say one thing, but in practise do another... Okay, you get the idea.

Now, think about the organisation. The values that drive positive behaviours internally, lead to success externally. Delivering on the promise to customers. Customers can see your values, evidenced in your behaviours. This is what becomes written down, nurtured and developed, see below...

How do I make up these values, purpose, etc?

You guessed it. You don’t. You have them. Yes, you may need better define them, to articulate them. If you have customers and employees, you have a brand. It exists in their minds. It may not be strong. It could even be weak, or muddled. If your culture is strong, it’s likely your brand is too.

In any event, it will benefit if you define it and articulate it clearly. Then express it in a way that motivates and engages people. Nurtured and developed, it can become a business superpower. Translating meaning into value. That’s the work of creating your brand strategy. A vital step in building cohesive culture.

You have a brand, whether you choose to help define it or not. A strong brand is an essential investment for any company looking to succeed in today’s competitive environment. A strong brand culture can also drive employee engagement, increase retention, and improve overall business performance.

Find out more about B2B branding and messaging, the brand strategy development process, and the benefits of using an independent consultant.

Or, simply get in touch to have a constructive conversation.