Building trust in uncertainty calls for alignment

brand alignment equity reputation trust

Purpose-led leadership aligns people, planet and profit

Purpose-led leaders agree that the role of a business is to create long-term value for all stakeholders, achieving the triple bottom line of people, planet and profit. This is alignment in its purest form – aligning customers, employees and key stakeholders around a common purpose, values and identity to positively impact people, planet and profit.

Think cross-functionally to deliver against brand promise

As a marketer, whatever actions you are taking today, it is even more important to be thinking cross-functionally, applying a “one brand, people first” approach: engaging customers, employees and stakeholders to align your corporate, customer and employer brands, experiences and communications around a common purpose, values and identity. Ensuring your whole of business credibly and consistently delivers against the brand promise to build trust.

Understanding the role of employees in your brand and how you treat them is equally important to what you offer your customers and how you treat them. Also your shareholders, some of whom are in or reaching retirement, some of whom are employees and some are customers. And your suppliers, who are also likely to be customers. And your partners who are an extension of your team and brand. Everything you do and say is visible to all your audiences and has the potential to build or detract from your brand equity, reputation and trust.

Brand architecture considerations

Whether you’re a branded house or house of brands, the “one brand, people first” philosophy applies. This is just as relevant to service brands like Westpac or WSP whereby thousands of front-line employees are brand touch-points, delivering the customer experience; as it is to Unilever, Mars and P&G whereby the corporate and employer brands are more closely aligned, with the product brands targeting specific audiences, values and needs whilst aligning with the overall Masterbrand, purpose and values.

Whole of business, not communications

This is not merely a communications play. Whether you’re a communications specialist or a full P&L marketer, this requires both application of “One Brand, People First” Strategy – how your brand positioning translates to the different audiences – and a 4-7Ps Marketing Strategy – how your brand positioning comes to life across product and service, price, place, promotion, people, process, physical evidence – to ensure that the promises you make are relevant, credible and consistently delivered to every audience, across every touch-point. Building brand equity, reputation and trust.

Here to help

If you want some help in aligning your people, brands and business – an audit and initial strategic direction; help in stress testing a comms platform against the business; or end-to-end brand alignment and go-to-market strategy – please call me on 0467 441 841 or email rachel@thehealthybrandcompany.com

Rachel Bevans

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