I really loved the campaign done by the legendary adman Piyush Pandey for a leading paint company themed ‘Har ghar kuch kehta hai ki inmein kaun rehta hai’ which translates as every house tells a story about the people who reside in it.
I think it is so true for companies as well.
There are so many clues that tell you about the culture of the company without speaking a word to anyone there. And, you don’t need to be Sherlock Holmes to deduce these attributes.
So, which are the areas most impacted and impactful in communicating these messages?
The office experience: The entrance, the reception, the branding, the kind of magazines kept on the table for guest, the videos streaming in the waiting area, the décor of the place, the dresses worn by the employees, the way the guard or the attendant offers you a drink or not, the vibes you get, they all add to your impression about the place. And, you start subconsciously categorising the place and the company in the invisible folders of your mind – and consciously or subconsciously, you start either loving the place or start building walls in your mind around it.
Imagine the people coming to your office everyday – your employees, your business partners, some of your key clients, potential investors, potential employees and of course the general people who fuel the grapevine about you to others that you probably cannot control or change once formed.
Employee advocacy: As per a survey published by a leading communications aggregator, 79% of firms surveyed reported more online visibility once implementing a formal Employee Advocacy program. 65% reported increased brand recognition.
So, employee advocacy today is the most powerful tool to showcase what you stand for as a company and as a brand. The marcom teams are the most competent when it comes to harnessing this potential and when supported by the HR teams working as one.
What could be more powerful than your own teams giving testimonials about the company culture and the products & services using their own accounts on social media tagging you? To leverage this fully it must be the comms and HR working as one in tandem for best results.
The family connection: Families play a pivotal role when it comes to shaping the culture of any company. The spouses and the children are the doorway to reach the heart of the employees. Imagine if you spouse commends you after an office party or get-together and feel proud of the organisation you work for, wouldn’t it add to the pride you feel for the company? Imagine if your children were invited to the office and they felt really good about your office and what you do as a company, wouldn’t it make you proud? It is therefore extremely critical as to how a community can be created with the families of the employees and how they can be engaged over various occasions can also determine the pride of the employees and the value they see in the company. It may be intangible, but it is super critical. We are after all emotional beings shrouded in logic. And, who better than the comms teams to manage and nurture communities?
The peer group relations: It is said that a lot of college and school alumnus are just to see if the others have made it in life. So is the case with industry events where small talks and large connections are helpful in shaping the brand and building lasting relationships. Since, it is the comms teams that in most companies manage the industry group relationships and partnerships, it is up to them to showcase the right messages that can become whispers in the right ears and eventually become the talk of the town.
The client experience: The client experience is not just about the product and service delivery. If it is, then it is very transactional. For long term relationships, how can the companies find forums and interests that compliment with the client’s interests. Imagine if both the client CEO and your company CEO could play golf together or be part of the same charity meeting or share a common social cause that they believe in and support together. Would it not build better bonds and image in the minds of the client? Of course, the deliverables have to be in place along with it. Who better than the PR team can manage these relations better?
The partners experience: Last but not the least, the vendors or partners play a very important role in portraying your culture to the outside world. Since they work with many companies who are of your size and status, they have the ears of the people who might be your existing and potential clients. And potential employees. Whispers in the right context can help you create a great brand and vice versa. So next time you are working with your partners be mindful of the consistent branding and messaging that you are giving out to the world. They are the social bees causing corporate cross pollination.
Conclusion: Communication today is not just mass media or social media. It is about connecting with the human spirit and portraying the positive change we are making in this world by delivering a better world.
And, your comms teams could be the perfect architects of this. Help them and empower them to create iconic and consistent branding across media and stakeholders.
The views and opinions published here belong to the author and do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of the publisher.
The views expressed are his personal views.
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