You work very hard to craft a consistent brand message. That only takes you so far.

The real power brokers of the brand are employees. Read more for just a glimpse of all the ways they can help build the brand—or torpedo it.

who controls your brand?

Think about who has the power to create messages and experiences around your brand:

• you
• your employees 
• your customers

In the graphic below, we've charted out a sampling of the ways each constituent can affect what others think, feel and say about your brand. In nearly every case, employees have the most control of the delivery of the brand promise to customers.

While company leadership may dictate a specific way something should be done, it's left up to each individual employee to carry it out.

Employees are the power brokers of your brand. Click to enlarge.

what's happening at your company?
Take a look around. Do employees know their important role in helping build the brand, earn trust and sell? (Yes, everyone is a salesperson.)

And if they know their role, are they doing it the branded way? Do the lobby areas, phone greetings, dress code, sales materials and purchase experience all align with the principles of your brand? For example:

• If you're a top-tier bank, does everything you (and employees) put forth convey a top-tier image?
• If your brand promotes health and wellness, do you promote that to your employees and help them achieve it?

but wait, there's more!
The chart above is a good starting point to analyze your brand touchpoints. But it just scratches the surface. You may also need to consider:

• sounds (music, conversation, ambiance)
• smells (what should it smell like when people experience your brand?)
• condition (i.e. shabby, sharp, spiffy, brand-new, polished)

No matter what details end up on your list, notice how many of them are affected by your employees, or your employees plus you.

what you need
Training, ongoing communications and modeling are critical elements. You may need:

• a kickoff and follow up training meetings
• a "here's how we do it" manual
• intranet messages
• internal contests
• internal videos
• brand incorporated into performance reviews
• ... and more

anyone else?
In some organizations, other powerful controllers of the brand could be suppliers, board of directors and members.

Make sure you're paying attention to them, too.

employees can help you get there
Developing a new logo or marketing campaign can be a fine strategy. To make it really work, all employees must believe and act to help power your brand and its ensuing profits.

Need help analyzing and powering up your internal brand? Call Martha direct at 785.969.6203.

 Tags: business strategy, profit, brand, employees, customers, brand advocates, advertising, marketing, PR