aligning your brand promise with your internal audiences to improve employee engagement

HOW TO ALIGN YOUR BRAND PROMISE WITH YOUR INTERNAL AUDIENCESALI Workshop | January 28 | Mike Lepis

About Vignette

HUMAN RESOURCESCOMMUNICATIONS

BRAND

We focus solely on Employees. We help our Clients create meaningful internal communications solutions to increase engagement—focused more on engagement vs. interruption.

Why are you here?

Workshop Overview

StructurePoint of View Example Discussion Activity

Jargon!

Transactional vs. Transformational

Transactional vs. TransformationalSurvey and respond

Transactional vs. TransformationalProactive Empathetic Elevates employee POV Seeks insight Built into strategy

Transactional vs. TransformationalProactive Empathetic Elevates employee POV Seeks insight Built into strategy

Survey and respond

Output vs. Outcome

Output vs. OutcomeQuantified results

Output vs. OutcomeThe difference made by the outputs.

Output vs. OutcomeThe difference made by the outputs.

Quantified results

Values & Alignment

What is your internal brand?

What is your internal brand?Who

Gallup Q12

TO BRING INSPIRATION AND INNOVATION TO EVERY ATHLETE* IN THE WORLD.  *If you have a body, you are an athlete. 

ANN INC. Our purpose is to inspire and connect with women to put their best selves forward everyday.

Great, what do I do with

that ?

Marketing owns the physical brand.

Internal communications owns the behavior.

Define your internal brand values.

define your internal brand values.Re

TO BRING INSPIRATION AND INNOVATION TO EVERY ATHLETE* IN THE WORLD.  *If you have a body, you are an athlete. 

It is our nature to innovate. 

Nike is a company. 

Nike is a brand. 

Simplify and go. 

The consumer decides. 

Be a sponge. 

Evolve immediately. 

Do the right thing. 

Master the fundamentals. 

We are on the offense – always. 

Remember the man. (The late Bill Bowerman, Nike co-founder)

NIKE MAXIMS

ANN INC. Our purpose is to inspire and connect with women to put their best selves forward everyday.

Staying connected to women  Embracing fashion first Putting our best selves forward everyday Honoring our full lives

Alignment

Alignment

Alignment

AlignmentPhysical Atmosphere

Internal Identity

Joint Vision

Fulfillment and Inspiration

Belief in Product and Services

Team Building BRAND PROMISE

Project: Ann INC. New Associate Experience

Activity

BRAND PROMISE

ALIGNMENT

Physical Atmosphere

Internal Identity

Joint Vision

Fulfillment and Inspiration

Belief in Product and Services

Team Building

Physical Atmosphere A nice physical place to be in.

Internal Identity Profiling  Remind people of where they are.

Team Building Make people accept each other and work well together.

Joint Vision Communicate a vision and encourage people to have the same goals.

Fulfillment and Inspiration  Make people proud of what they are achieving. Inspire them to do awesome things.

Belief in Products and Services  Make people understand their contribution to the world.

Cheat Sheet

Audience, Channels, Resources

You are NOT the target market.

Audience

Personal Information

Demographics

Psychographics

Mindset & Attributes

Motivations

Pain Points

Habits & Patterns

Learning Styles

Functionality Feedback

Message Reach

Insights Panels

1:1 Interviews

Survey

HR Data

Collection Methods

1 hour x 48 weeks = 48 hours/year

1 hour x 240 days = 240 hours/year

240 hours x 500 stores = 120,000 hours/year

Why?

Understanding your audience is core to your role.

The goal is to deliver against their expectations.

Good marketing/communications = always be testing.

Understanding what motivates your employees enables you to get closer to them.

Data driven decisions help to achieve your goals.

All leads to moving away from transactional and toward transformative.

Projects: Spendwell, Merrell, Nike

Executive Summary

PERSONAL INFO

MINDSET & ATTRIBUTES

MOTIVATIONS

NAME The Millennial Realistic family man

29 years old Single, no kids

Progressive, optimistic “Digital native”

Budget conscious

38 years old Wife, two young kids

Culturally sensitive

Cynical and traditional communication

47 years old Husband, no kids

Convenience

Privacy and security

Overwhelmed by complexity

35 - 55 year olds with a passion for the outdoors. While their lives are filled with family and career, they

still make time to get off the grid. Their

vacations, travel, and free time are centered

around outdoor pursuits.

The outdoors i our playground

“My life is busy but I get

outdoors as much as I can

because I love it. 

We’re out there for the

challenge

“I’m motivated by the sense of

accomplishment I get out here."

We chop our own firewood.

I’t not going to chop itself

We find what works and stick

to it.

I’ve been doing this awhile.

When I find a brand I like, I

stick with it. 

Function + performance.

“first and foremost, my gear

has to work. I rely on it."

Dog is my co-pilot.

“Rex is always along for the

ride"

WILDERNESS SEEKER

Activity

Personal

Mindset

Motivations

Pain Points

Name

Audit

MEETINGS EVENTS DIGITAL SOCIAL

FEEDBACK PRINT MANAGER TRAINING LEADERSHIP

Channels

PEOPLE INTERNAL BRAND

BUSINESS DRIVERS CULTURE

Capabilities

Strategy, Plan, Measurement

Too few IC teams are guided by a clear strategy.

Supports the organizational goals.

Delivers with this aim in mind.

Connects across the organization.

Enhances business performance.

Strategy

Realistic

Audience-centric

Multi-tiered

Plan

Good content is appropriate.

Your roles: editor, curator, marketer, information scientist.

Your tools: audit, brief, editorial calendar, plans.

Content Strategy

Establish the value of what you are doing.

Generate insights that inform your practice.

Support insightful business decisions.

Track progress of efforts.

Include both Output and Outcome.

Measurement

Establish the value of what you are doing.

Generate insights that inform your practice.

Support insightful business decisions.

Track progress of efforts.

Measurement

Output vs. Outcome

Output vs. OutcomeChannels

Content Conversations

Voice

Output vs. OutcomeSentiment Behavior ROI

Story

Message

Design

Plan

Examples Story, Message, Design

PROJECT: FAMILY ENGAGEMENT VIDEO CLIENT: KNOWLEDGE UNIVERSE

…the minutia of this morning ritual…the non-verbal exchanges that exists between front and back seat, between mother and son.

PROJECT: FAMILY ENGAGEMENT VIDEO CLIENT: KNOWLEDGE UNIVERSE

“reaches back to stroke his little leg all before flashing a smile that appears, thanks to the fantastic obliviousness of her head-in-the-clouds little boy"

“She nervously taps fingertips on the steering wheel, gives an anxious glance into the rearview"

STORY

DESIGN

Activity

BRAND PROMISE

EMPLOYEE VALUES

GOALS

AUDIENCE

STRATEGY

TIMING

TACTIC

OUTPUT/INPUT

Recap

Evolve brand promise to include employee experience.

Be less Transactional and more Transformational

Measure! And include Output AND Outcome.

Get to know your audience.

Get to know your channels.

THANKS!@mikevignette