Your Internal Brand

Make one for the team

Are you the exact same person inside your home with your family that you are outside your house with the rest of the world? Probably not? Yes, you are essentially the same person, but are you not exactly the same person? 

This is true of an organization. The brand they present to their external audience is, and should be, complementary to the brand presented to their internal audience, aka, employees, aka Team Members, and therefore, a Team Member Brand (as we like to call it).   

“Sell” to your employees

Your people need an internal brand foundation to rally under (or, rally on, in the case of a foundation… for our extra literal readers). What are the guiding forces and values behind my work and my time here? Like your external brand, your internal version of that brand should be a call to action, a reason to believe, and a way of conducting oneself. This is the variation of an organization’s master brand that recruits the potential employee, onboards the new employee, and retains the valuable employee. It sells the brand to your people. 

It’s an opportunity to compete beyond a good salary. It’s a way to create inner substance and meaning to a business. It’s another difference-maker when it comes to standing taller in a competitive workforce. 

It’s a culture thing

What sort of culture exists in your company? Most leaders haven’t even considered the culture within. Is your culture “fun” because you have a ping-pong table? Or, is it “tense” because you have a ping-pong table, except everyone wanted an espresso machine? Is your culture “sophisticated” because you hung pricey art in the lobby? Is your culture “quirky” because you hung pricey art upside down in your lobby? Maybe your internal branding exploration didn’t go dig enough. Getting a true understand of a workforce builds trust and transparency, generates motivation and energy, plus it keeps absenteeism down and productivity up.  

And why not happy?

Creating a distinctive image in the minds of current employees provides an identity that becomes part of a comprehensive brand. Just as you want to understand your external audience, companies need to understand their internal audience in order to truly succeed. Internal communication like texts, internal social channels, emails, physical signage, events and more will have a clear and intentional voice. Your internal visual brand will likely be a visual sibling of your master brand, recognizable, yet specific for that internal group or initiative. 

Don’t assume your public-facing brand is ideal or even good enough for your internal audience. It’s your inside voice vs. your outside voice. Create a culture where work is rewarding, motivation is meaningful, and being a part of a team makes people happy. Happy is a perfectly valid business decision. Please don’t forget the happy. 

Happily,

Team Sussner

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