Tag: company

An audience that is seen but not heard

Posted on November 28, 2013 by

It’s always surprising to find that when it comes to strategic communication businesses completely discard an audience that should be made up of its most loyal followers; it’s employees.

It is very rare that we receive a PR brief which makes specific reference to internal communications, unless it includes a newsletter or the updating of an intranet service. So, why is it that brands which invest thousands of pounds into managing their most precious asset – their reputation – don’t consider their biggest advocates as a key audience?

Well, it’s simple really. Employees are, in some businesses at least, seen and not heard. In times where offices are busier, customers want more and time is ever of the essence, it is fair to suggest that the easiest audience to ‘ignore’ or push to one side would be those who are closest.

It’s like anything, when you have a task to do that is for your own brand or business you leave it until ‘later’ but later, like tomorrow, never seems to come.

We work with companies of all sizes to explain the importance of internal communications, and to explain why investing in this audience should become part of an organisations wider business strategy if they want to really succeed. Employees make a business, and they add to the personality of a brand, which is the one thing that competitors cannot replicate.

When you think about some brands and the experience that you have had, it won’t be the owner of that company that has given you that impression – good or bad – but the person that you deal with when you come into contact with that business. In most instances, when you think about leading global brands you will have no idea what the owner even looks like; what you are likely refer to is people you know who work for that company, or the attitude of the person who last called you from that particular business.

The simple truth is if you don’t invest in your team, whether they are customer facing or not, you can’t expect them to then share the positive values of your business with others.  What will they be saying when they are down the pub with their mates or updating their latest Facebook post? What are they tweeting about and if it references your business, is it likely to be positive? It’s certainly worth considering in an age of ‘sharing’ content and expressing opinion.

Employees are an essential asset to any business, not just bums on seats. Perhaps it’s time that we all took a step back, considered those who should matter most and enthused them to want to share the good things about the company that they have chosen to work for.

Putting together an internal communications campaign, which educates and engages your staff, could give you the best return on investment of any marketing activity you have planned for 2014.

Every business has ‘the’ secret ingredient

Posted on August 28, 2013 by

The difference between one brand and another is often down to the simplest of things but in turn this can and has taken a business from being mediocre to massive!

I have been reading lots of articles about brands recently; their campaigns, new advertising creative, plans for the run up to the Christmas period, new seasonal products… and it strikes me that whatever they are launching and whatever new message they are conveying they are all trying to achieve the same objective.

It doesn’t matter which agency you choose to work with, there is little doubt that creativity and relationship is often at the heart of that decision, but the truth is that a brand already has the magic ingredient that is required to encourage a consumer to purchase one product above another.

All an agency really has to do is find that hidden ingredient and bring it to life. They have to develop a campaign that can cross all mediums and reach all touch points – they have to put this gem at the heart of the business, to ensure that it is always a fundamental starting point for any campaign, at any time of the brands life cycle.

This nugget is often the one thing that is overlooked by so many agencies; those that are too busy striving to win the next award to look closely enough at their clients business to really see what is staring them in the face. They truly believe that if they work against this ‘thing’ they can push forward some pretty pictures or quirky concept that will in turn generate greater revenues in a shorter time frame.

What they fail to recognise is that by using the obvious – this thing that is right in front of them – they can build longer term campaigns that will evolve year on year, which in turn will lead to a more successful and profitable business and therefore bigger plans and better budgets for all agencies involved.

It’s often the simplest of things that people miss and this is in everyday life, as well as business. We all strive to own a big house and live a Beckham-esque existence when actually if we were honest, all many of us would like is to be happy with our lot, even if that means a one bedroomed cottage in the Yorkshire Dales (ok that may just be me!).

So what is this one thing, this nugget, the missing piece of the jigsaw – it’s personality. Don’t tut or roll your eyes, think about it. Most successful brands are built upon the personality of the founding member, partnership or team. Their belief in their product and the values that they have attributed to that business (plus the bloody, sweat and tears that often goes into turning an idea into a reality) are what breaths the life into the brand and gives it longevity.

It doesn’t matter what creative campaign, stunt, advertising or PR activity they plan throughout the year, the foundations of that business should always be the same – built on personality, which become the values of that company. The best businesses are those that do this and do it well. Next time you think about a brand, think about the story that goes behind it; where did it come from, who founded it and how did it go from good to great? I bet that in many instances it’s the story, which is based on the personality of the founders or adopters who were able to breath that life into it, that gives you the affinity you have with the business and its products.