Internal branding is how you effectively use organizational culture and values to set the example of behavior for customer advantage through making a meaningful contribution

making organizations more effective

Work Session #4 - Branding in Action

Using the way-we-do-things-here for Customer Advantage

One thing about the future is clear: The organizations which will succeed are the ones that will state clearly why society should allow them to exist.
The key lies in meaning and it starts with your people: Your example must be such that it convinces your people that your organization has a meaningful contribution to make, and hence will not waste their time and energy. If you cannot convince them, they will never convince your customers. And your organization will be branded, but not the way you intended.
Branding is nothing more than your organization’s image or reputation. It is based entirely on the perceptions people form based on their experiences with your organization. Marketing and advertising can influence branding, but personal experience cements it. Your people, every one of them, are responsible for creating the experience.
When it comes to meaningful contributions, and to wasting time and energy, employees always know the truth and customers perceive it. This is why you must: 1) Know your truth; 2) state clearly what you stand for; 3) aligning your people and corporate energy to deliver your promise; 4) understand and manage perceptions; 5) and letting your customers tell the world. That is how branding, and specifically internal branding, works.

Format

This work session follows our SHURE™ Success Cycle format: understanding, commitment, action and learning:

First, we make sure that you and your colleagues share a common understanding of key concepts such as branding, values and culture.
Next, we engage you in discussion and argument until everyone is in agreement as to what is relevant and what applies to your organization.
Then we help you determine what you must act on and how to execute.
And lastly, we help you identify what was learnt in the process and how to ensure that you and your colleagues continue to learn from what you will be implementing.

The format can be summarized as follows: presentation (understanding), discussion (commitment), decision-making (action), evaluation (learning).

Purpose and Benefits

To ensure that you understand the importance of not wasting customers’ time and energy. Everything you do or don’t do carries a promise to your customers. Every time you break your promise, you have wasted someone’s time and energy. And you have been branded, but not the way you intended.
To secure your commitment to a more effective way-we-do-things-here. Branding in action is built on the promise you hold up to your own people: this is what we stand for and this is how-we-do-things-here. This is how you excite them and secure their commitment to deliver on the promise you make to customers. But it starts with knowing your own truth and what you stand for.
To prepare you to set the appropriate example through your behavior and actions. A leader can never not lead. You lead through everything you do and you lead through everything you do not do. You might think that your people obey your instructions; the truth is that they follow your example.
To identify critical success factors. These are factors which will help you learn from the subtleties of your organization’s values and culture, and will help you monitor whether the way-we-do-things-now is indeed helping your organization to become more effective, especially in cementing relationships with customers.

Who should attend?

All senior people in leadership positions (especially the CEO). Many organizations make the mistake of assuming that branding is the responsibility of the marketing people. It is not. Branding is the promise your organization makes to its customers. The only person with the authority to make such a promise, and with the power and influence to ensure that the promise is delivered, is the CEO.

But the CEO cannot do this alone, for effective branding is built on the way-we-do-things-here and the way-we-do-things-here comes about through the example set at the top. This is why all senior people must be involved, and not just the CEO with the marketing team.

At the same time we know that organizational effectiveness depends on everybody in your organization, not on a select few: everybody must understand, must be committed, must act and must learn. This is why we recommend that, ultimately, middle managers should also be exposed to elements of branding in action.

How long does the work session last?

Work session #4 lasts one day. One week after the work session we will have a follow-up meeting with you or participate in a conference call. This will be an opportunity to discuss any issues or questions that may have surfaced after the work session.

How much does it cost?

The cost of the work session takes into account factors such as the number of participants, the planned duration of the session, the level of customization, the desired outcome and the status of the organization (e.g. profit or non-profit).

For more information on Work Session #4, please contact Lynn Spitzer on

direct line (804) 754-0195

email: ls@vspinc.biz

Session #1 - Session #2 - Session #3 - Session #5