We can all agree that performance brands need awareness and understanding, a compelling offer, and crucially, outstanding delivery. But what is often forgotten, is the importance of having employees that simply get the brand. This is a key ingredient of a performance brand.
Engaged employees also know what role they play in delivering the brand. And it’s this reality of delivery that shapes brand reputation – making employee actions and behaviours the key to creating (and delivering) uniquely relevant customer experiences. Which is vital in today’s economy of product commoditisation and customer disloyalty, where so often elite performance brands are led by experience.
But don’t be fooled, this isn’t about asking people to subvert their personalities to the brand, sing the corporate anthem every morning – or even slavishly recite the mission statement. It’s about inviting people to appreciate that being part of something bigger is inspiring not intimidating, and that differentiation is crucial not cosmetic.
A great example of this, of course, is Apple. At every touchpoint – including and especially interacting with Apple employees – you experience the brand wholeheartedly. From the store front to the Genuis Bar and the Workshop, each employee you meet along the journey not only believes in the brand but delivers it consistently – set against the backdrop of familiar, slick environments. It’s the full package and the employees are crucial in delivering it.
Investing in employees should be seen as investing in the brand’s biggest marketing tool. As they’re the ones responsible for meeting business goals, not by ‘doing my job, my way’, but by recognising that their job is to satisfy and delight customers – in a manner which is unique to the brand.
While brand performance agencies like us work to connect brands with their audiences, with the right messages at the right time, it’s only part of the story. Internally, brands need to be engaging their employees, as it’s these strong foundations that make delivering brand performance across the whole journey seamless – and ultimately, an easy sell. And great customer experiences encourage recommendations – the most powerful marketing that of course, immediately lowers CPA!
“People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”
-Maya Angelou