A strong brand is sustained by getting internal branding right. A brand strategy that informs, engages, and inspires employees gives them something to become a part of and work for. This increases employee engagement and ensures a consistent message across all channels.

1. ALIGNING
EMPLOYEESWITH
BRANDSTRATEGY
A Point of View
Bill Faust
Managing Partner
@ologie

2. Internal Branding
Every year organizations spend millions on
extending their brands through external
media like advertising and public relations.
Strong brands, however, also brand from
the inside out. Because, what good is a
brand if your associates don’t know how to
deliver on it? Or why they should care?

3. A strong brand is grounded by a clear purpose
and a brand strategy that translates it to
internal and external audiences.
The brand strategy:
• informs employees about the
brand positioning (mindset)
• engages associates by helping
them understand their role (skill set)
• inspires associates by making
the purpose tangible and
meaningful (motivation)
This approach ensures consistent
delivery of the external brand and
strengthens employee engagement.
Branding From the Inside Out
PURPOSE
INTERNAL audience
EXTERNAL AUDIENCE
BR
AND STRATE
GY

4. Brand and Purpose
To make life easier
and more fun
through innovation
To be hospitable
To be a relentless
ally for every
investor
To be a place to
meet, work, relax,
and enjoy
To enable people to
experience the joy
of driving
To give the
freedom to fly
To create happiness
for people of all
ages, wherever
To save people
money so that they
can live better
To fuel the athlete
in everyone
To provide choices
for nurturing
the body, the
community,
and the planet

5. Creating Alignment
Philosophical
Alignment
(Mindset)
About the strategy:
Purpose
Vision
Values
Behavioral
Alignment
(Skill set)
About the brand:
Identity
Experience
Actions
Emotional
Alignment
(Motivation)
About their role:
Engagement
Inspiration
Incentive
Above all else, internal branding creates alignment
across each segment of the employee population:

6. Bottom line: Strong internal brand alignment is highly linked to
business performance. And associates want it.
High associate engagement in a brand can
improve employee performance by 20%.
A global survey on employee engagement shows that:
• 33% of employees feel satisfied with their level of
engagement today
• 92% say they want to improve their performance
• 82% want to better understand their company’s vision
• 87% want to know what role they can play in helping
the company realize its vision
Creating Alignment

7. Employee Value Proposition
Some internal brand programs include a promise
to employees. That promise is the Employee Value
Proposition (EVP). It defines the commitment between
employee and company — and strives to balance the
needs of both.
Balance the
needs of
company and
employees
EVP
Great place
to work
What’s in it for me?
(The reason I work here.)
What’s expected of me?
(My role in delivering the brand promise
and executing the business strategy.)
Deliver the brand
experience
externally

8. Internal Branding: Elements
• Tagline or rallying cry
– Communicates the “big idea” to associates
– Simple and succint with language associates can relate to
• Promise statement (Value Proposition)
– Expands on the ideas communicated in the tagline
– The “give and get”
– What the company expects from me (experience)
– Balance between rational and emotional benefits
•Proof points
– An inventory of “reasons to believe”

9. Why is Internal Branding Important?
Articulating the value proposition helps us to:
• Align people, programs, and practices to:
– Support the business and brand strategy
– Drive associate perceptions, attitudes, and behaviors
• Focus message to associates in a consistent,
compelling way
• Provide clear expectations for associates around:
– What can I do to help execute the brand strategy?
(desired behaviors and employee expectations)
– How do I fit into the organization? (my role)
– Why do I matter? (the reason I work here)

10. Communicating the Brand Strategy
Through a systematic approach, a brand strategy can be
reinforced at every turn. Over time, it grows stronger, even
more authentic, and self-reinforcing as it is translated to:
1 FUNCTIONAL TOOLS
2 BEHAVIORAL TOOLS
3 INSPIRATIONAL TOOLS

11. 1 functional TOOLS

12. 2 BEHAVIORAL tools

13. 3 INSPIRATIONal tools
click here to see Univita Health’s philosophy video

14. thank you