Internal Branding Campaigns: Why Success Starts With Research

We recently found ourselves in the following conversation:

Client: We need to engage employees in our company’s new mission. We need your help with the execution of the communications campaign. We already have the positioning and messaging. The CEO wrote it.

DB: Oh, that’s great. What kind of research was conducted in developing the new position?

Client: Well, none. But the CEO thinks it’s the direction the company needs to take.

DB: Hmm. Have you tested how the new mission has been received by employees?

Client: No.

DB: Ok. How about communications channels? Do you know how employees like to receive information?

Client: We did a media survey five years ago.

DB: Would you be open to having us conduct some internal research for this campaign?

Client: Do you really think that’s needed?

This is not an entirely unusual conversation. On more than a few occasions, we have had to convince clients of the critical role that research plays in the success of an internal branding campaign (or any branding campaign for that matter).

To Be Understood, First Seek to Understand

To take employees on any kind of journey, you first need to know where they are coming from.

This was never more apparent than when we helped a recently IPO-ed cybersecurity company find differentiation in an increasingly crowded competitive space.

Traditionally, the firm was considered a SaaS provider, but its leadership was convinced that repositioning itself as a lean platform offer was key to increasing its valuation among investors. It came to us for help telling this new platform story, which included getting employees on board with an internal campaign.

When we conducted research—interviewing employees, conducting a survey, running workshops, and testing leadership’s suggested platform messaging—we found a disconnect. The company’s talent had long been considered its most valuable asset. But employees felt their contribution was being discounted with the new platform go-to-market strategy. What’s more, they didn’t think the company could credibly call itself a platform. At least, not yet.

This posed a problem, because a B2B brand’s most valuable marketing assets are its employees. Their enthusiastic buy-in is key to the success of any brand and can transform them into brand ambassadors. After all, they’re the ones on the front lines, developing solutions, interacting with customers, and executing marketing strategies. If they don’t believe it, no one will.

To sway employees with an internal branding campaign, we needed to develop a positioning that recognized them—and that they could fully believe in. Our solution was to position the company as a smart cybersecurity network of analysts and developers, of clients and partners, of insights and technologies.

This recognized the value of the firm’s human capital, but also that it worked in tandem with best-in-class technology to create exponentially better security than an SaaS or platform alone. It was a story that emphasized technology and automation—important to investors—but also the critical importance of best-in-class analysts, researchers and technologists.

Thanks to research, the brand’s positioning was compelling to investors but also captured buy-in from employees. Having been engaged early in the process, they felt that their contribution was valued, and that they had a role in building the new brand rather than having it forced on them by management. It also gave employees a chance to express themselves, which was as cathartic for them as it was insightful for us and the brand’s leadership team.

The lesson for the brand was clear: Never assume that what resonates with leadership will resonate with employees.

Surveys and Focus Groups 101

One effective and efficient approach for aligning employees and leadership is an online survey that gauges employees’ perceptions, tests messaging and identifies the most effective communications channels. We always make these recommendations:

• Keep the survey short
• Encourage participation by sending out company-wide email
• Use posters, announcements, on-site screens and follow-up emails to direct employees to the survey
• Consider offering incentives to survey respondents

Focus groups are another effective method to gain insights into the mindset of employees. Keep these groups small and informal and be sure they represent a cross section of departments, seniority levels, and geographies. To get the insights you want, participating employees must feel comfortable and engaged.

Our experience has been that employees are usually more than willing to share their perceptions. The key is to acquire these insights before you start planning the brand or communications campaign.

Upfront research can significantly enhance your ability to deliver an internal campaign that truly engages your team, leading to a better experience for your customers—and value creation for your brand.

Want to discuss conducting research to engage your team and inform your next brand strategy? Let’s talk.