Marketing with Smart:ROI

Tail wags dog

Reputation management

Fusing business model with brand strategy

Brand management in higher education

1 + 1 = 3

The best of both worlds

Engaging and embedding internal communications

Enhancing the brand through the IPO maze

Brand Architecture: considerations

ENGAGING AND EMBEDDING INTERNAL COMMUNICATIONS

For many companies, the single focus when communicating a new corporate strategy, brand proposition or brand re-positioning is their external audience. Why? Because, quite rightly, suppliers, partners and customers are seen as being critical to the future success of the business!

But what about the internal audience – the staff who actually have to deliver this change of direction or communicate the new brand proposition? Typically they are left to fend for themselves or at best communicated to via ‘all staff briefings’ or cascade communications. They are then expected ‘to just get it’ or understand it by a process of immaculate osmosis.

The truth is that top down communications will only help to highlight and inform that change is happening. One thing it will never do is change behaviours and attitudes, which is precisely what a business needs to do if the new strategy is going to have any real and lasting impact.

It is only through ‘bottom-up’ or ‘embedding communications’ that a tangible and lasting change in behaviours and attitudes can be achieved – because two things need to happen. Firstly, the articulation of the reasons why the company is undertaking this course of action, what the objectives are, its market context, business imperatives and rationale. Secondly, to identify why this is important and significant to all members of staff (whatever their role), what its relevance is to them and how they need to respond and react to it as part of their job and daily activities.