In Eric Krell’s article in October edition of HR Magazine we see rising evidence that employees are powerful allies for the brand’s image. Krell makes the case that employees are both constituents and customers of the brand. They must connect with it; believe its underlying promise, own it, and commit to delivering it if the brand is to develop, resonate and gain value as a corporate asset.
Want evidence that employees are critical? Look at the side story on United Airline’s “Rising” campaign. Hostile workers—even those who are only marginally uncommitted—can doom the best marketing effort. Also consider the impact employees have on brands that are not heavily advertised. Even in the absence of marketing rhetoric some brands grow in value—like Starbucks for example.
In his report Krell carefully lays out the communication and operational components he believes must be addressed to ignite and sustain brand-building behavior. One element that seems to be missing (from this and other articles I have read on the subject) is the role employees can play in influencing on one another. The term social networking describes how individuals make decisions. How the behavior of peers can influence one another is critical. Peer influence has more impact than messages delivered from distant senior management. Peer-peer recognition plays a vital role in building ambassadors for the brand and creating those very types of employee evangelists Krell deems as critical in the re-branding process.
