3 Signs Your Corporate Brand is Failing in the Workplace (and How to Fix it)

Just because there's an impressive logo on your wall or business card, that doesn't mean your brand resonates with your employees or your customers. While your brand may easily be recognized, there are no guarantees that people are perceiving who you are accurately.

If you can get employees to understand the importance of serving as ambassadors by clarifying your brand's story, this can be a vital asset for your company.

So, how do you know if your brand is failing in the workplace? Here are three common signs and ways to fix them:

1. It's a struggle to recruit and retain talent. If you're in a hiring manager role and you're losing good people or you simply can't attract them to your organization, it may have something to do with your company's brand presence. Or lack thereof. Word-of-mouth marketing can be one of the best benefits to your organization's recruitment strategy or it can be one of the worst, depending on how employees perceive your brand and culture. In order to fix this, there are a few things you can do internally. Employee surveys are a great place to start. There are inexpensive third-party companies that can collect anonymous data on your behalf and compile it in a way that can produce good insights for your company. Additionally, you can look at anonymous review sites like Glassdoor or Indeed to see what people are saying about your organization and how you can improve.
2. Your team doesn't know how to communicate your brand. Albert Einstein said, "If you can't explain it simply, you don't understand it well enough." And that’s true when it comes to how your employees perceive your brand and communicate what they know about it. Everyone from the receptionist to the CEO should be on the same page about what your company does and most importantly, why your company does it. Additionally, they should also use brand standards and elements correctly. If there are any discrepancies, then your messaging needs refinement. You can remedy this by conducting trainings to help your employees communicate your brand's story and clarifying the best way to share it with others. Whether that’s through the use of a presentation or a simple elevator pitch, it's important for everyone within your organization to be on the same page when understanding and telling your story.
3. Your employees aren’t engaged with your brand. Do you incorporate elements of your brand and your story throughout your workplace? If not, your brand’s messaging may be falling short with your employees and even the customers that visit your space. Combat this by involving your employees in a brainstorming session to come up with ideas on how to brand your environment. You can include signage, a display wall, or even custom graphics. These branded elements help tell your story and why you do what you do. When employees are connected to your brand and your space, they are much more likely to help others make the connection too.

While you may sense that your brand is in jeopardy based on one or more of these signs, chances are this can be remedied with the right tools and mindset.