Do your people know how to talk about your brand?

Being able to confidently articulate the organisation’s brand comes down to connecting on a personal level with the brand, and owning how you talk about it with your networks.

Client example: Global Professional Association

The challenge for a large organisation, like a global membership association, is how to translate the brand’s positioning and value proposition ‘on the ground’ in a variety of locations and categories.

In this week’s strategy session in Brisbane for a professional association’s board, leadership, staff and committee heads, participants worked with a range of tools to connect with and communicate the global brand at an individual, team and national level, making it meaningful ‘on the ground’. The key to success using tools like an ‘elevator pitch’ (loathe that term!) lie in making it personal, individual, authentically inspiring, and human.

An elevator pitch that means something

Participants were encouraged to choose an angle that was personally meaningful when interpreting the brand’s value proposition messages, and to lead with this angle when constructing their own elevator pitch that they could use to talk to potential members about the benefits of joining the association. It was a balance between being clear on what is meaningful to their member audience, and what is meaningful to each of them personally.

Incorporating a ‘Brand Culture’ strategy at your organisation or professional association, where your people can meaningfully connect with your brand,  results in stronger positioning, connection and visibility, in order to reach individual and shared KPIs, particularly around target audience engagement and business growth… but it also helps with team unity, motivation and confidence.

How do you know you need a Brand Culture Strategy?

Consider these questions:

• How clear are your brand messages to internal and external audiences?
• Are your board and leadership team on the same page when it comes to brand positioning and direction? Is the board driving a culture that supports core brand values?
• What about your leadership and management teams – do they work towards common brand understandings and goals?
• Can your people confidently explain what the brand is all about… in ways that inspire them?
• Have your people been equipped with the right information and professional skills to represent your brand to clients and networks… confidently, clearly, accurately and favourably?
• Have you given your people the resources and encouragement to develop their own personal brands? Are you aware of how confidently positioned personal brands create better company brand representation, increased performance and happier, more motivated team members?
• Does your marketing team have a deep understanding of the brand’s positioning, value proposition, key messages, audience and communication style? Do they know how to formulate and carry out a strategic marketing plan? Are they being utilized as a key resource to guide and support others in communicating the brand?

The questions above are a great place to start your leadership discussions about your people’s connection to the brand.

Then, your Brand Culture Strategy should be informed by your organisation’s overall strategic direction and a solid understanding of where your team members (at every level) currently sit in terms of brand awareness, connection and communication. A truly powerful strategy session like the one described above starts with a well-planned team enquiry and engagement process.

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