About the transformation of an employer brand
How a shared brand understanding helps attract employees
Mission
“We want to appear more rebellious, fresher, younger again.”
This is the request of a company that has grown very quickly in recent years, both in terms of personnel and its own sphere of influence. The innovative billing software (SaaS) from the provider enables many new business and billing models in the energy industry, which is in high demand. Especially in the current global development.
All the more exciting that, in all the dynamics, the desire for a clear, differentiated brand positioning arises, for a return to the roots. Not to lose the bite, not to fall asleep, but to remain dynamic, and grow properly with the right people.
Here we go… I hold initial talks with Marketing and Recruiting in particular, because the employer brand is naturally a big topic in the IT industry, with a strong battle for valuable talent.
Together, we quickly realise that the creeping mediocrity, the somewhat blandness, does not stem so much from a conscious development, but rather from uncertainty and lack of clarity around the brand itself.
Insight
What is missing is a shared understanding of the brand across all levels of action. I like to compare it to a person: every person has an individual character profile that determines their actions and principles of action. The counterpart in the company is the brand personality, a shared image of the brand’s profile and behaviour.
Dialogue
The common process always remains dialogical: What is really needed and how do we make things understandable? And above all: how do we capture a relevant cross-section of perspectives, work out a consensus, and eliminate contradictions?
Many good, open conversations and surveys later, there is a model that again uses the human analogy. From inside to outside, we keep the brand personality clearly prepared and available to all:
Essence – How and what are we?
Type – How are we identifiable?
Story – How do we tell our story?
Action – How do we align our actions?
Look & Feel – How do we express ourselves?
Result
The result is a guide that provides clear flanks of the brand and corporate personality and thus provides orientation for almost all applications: What do we value in our partners, and what kind of employees are we looking for? As well as, how we communicate with our customers and why? i.e., what principles stand behind it? The core that we want to preserve and nurture, even, or especially when we grow quickly.
So the result is something very rare and sustainable. Because: Everyone is looking for differentiation in their own brand, wants to stand out as an employer, or create a special charisma. But the path often goes through the comparative: more benefits, serve more channels, do more of what makes others successful. The focus, however, should be much more inward. What makes our brand unique, where lie the potentials, special features, genuine characteristics that generate resonance, and how can we bring them most effectively into communication? This is smart and saves resources.
Of course, I can’t go into the last detail in the presentation of the cases. After all, every path IÂ pursue with the different companies is very individual and tailored to their special requirements.
Much rather, I actually want to talk about your challenges. Would you like to learn more about Brand Personality or Identity Processes? As well as how we can proceed together to work out the special features of your brand, and systemically anchor them within the company right up to the management level. Please get in touch!
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Are you facing a similar challenge with your organisation?
Let’s talk.
Are you facing a similar challenge with your organisation?
Let’s talk.