Connect with Geno Church at the PRSA Connect 13 Conference, March 26–27, in New York, where he will give a keynote presentation on “People-Powered Brands: Empowering a Tribe of Internal Advocates.”
Why does your brand exist? What is your purpose for being in business? Does every employee know what your company is working toward?
Here’s a hint: Your brand isn’t a product or a line item on a spreadsheet. It’s the stories people tell about it.
Believe it or not, your best storytellers are your employees. Not just your C-Suite staff, but also the people on the ground representing your brand day in and day out.
Now ask yourself: Are your employees advocates for your company? Are they true, shout-it-from-the-rooftops fans of your product or service? If not, it’s time to unlearn everything you’ve thought about your business. Let’s get back to the basics of why your brand exists.
Unlearning: The “Why” Behind Your Brand
Chances are, your company dates back to a time when someone believed they could make a difference. It was built on a hunch that a product or service could better the lives of others — plus a good sense of the way business works.
Maybe your organization is out to combat a social issue, such as overcoming addiction or improving literacy. Or maybe your brand offers a product that improves lives. Whatever it is, in order to inspire your employees to be passionate about their work, it’s your job to find the answer.
Unlearning: What Your Employees Are Passionate About
Once you’ve tapped into the “why” behind your brand, spread it. Empower your employees — everyone from the CEO to the mailroom clerk — to work toward this common goal.
Your employees are motivated by more than just their salary and benefits package. True internal advocates have a contagious passion for their brand’s purpose and a cause greater than themselves.
And the best part? Your employees will spread their love for your company beyond your office walls to inspire other advocates and loyal customers.
As word-of-mouth inspiration officer at Brains on Fire, Geno Church is a quoted, sought-after and stalked thought leader in uncovering the DNA of sustainable word-of-mouth movements and building them from the ground, up.
