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Internal Brand Engagement: How Can Organizations Do More With Less?

Posted by: Maryann Stump on May 25, 2010

The economy may be growing again, but most companies are still looking for ways to do more with less. Smart companies know that efficiency doesn’t come from cutting costs; efficiency comes from getting more from what they spend. One area that is commonly overlooked is brand training. According to a recent Interbrand global study, 59 percent of companies surveyed train employees on their brand, but 30 percent don’t link that training to the customer experience or to desired behaviors.

Brands exist to inspire consumers to act—to seek out the brand, to choose the brand and to recommend the brand. If we aren’t training employees to act on the brand, why bother? Merely knowing what the brand stands for does not help employees to be part of the delivery of the brand to customers.

So how do we connect employee action to brand in a real way? Brand behaviors are not the same as corporate values. Values are what we believe. Behaviors are how we act. Values inform the choices we make. Behaviors focus our actions. Brand behaviors enable every employee, no matter what their job function, to play a part in delivering the brand to customers. They also provide a framework for discretionary effort.


Nordstrom is rightly renowned for their effectiveness in empowering their employees to deliver a branded experience. They do it by setting a simple, meaningful goal: “Provide outstanding customer service.” The famous one-page Nordstrom Employee Handbook had one rule: “Use best judgment in all situations.” Everyone has heard at least one story about a Nordstrom employee who went above and beyond to provide outstanding customer service. Nordstrom trains their employees on what the brand means and empowers their delivery of this asset. They identify the behaviors both broadly and specifically. From “treat the customer as you would want to be treated in the same situation” to “always come from behind the counter and hand the customer their purchase; thank them by name.” It creates a memorable experience that keeps customers loyal.

A start to identifying desired brand behaviors is to look within the company. If the brand promise is clear, chances are there are already employees who are acting on the brand. Identifying those behaviors and replicating them doesn’t cost much, but what it delivers—loyal customers—is priceless.

Is your brand strong enough to let your employees use their best judgment? If not what do you think it will take to get it there?

Join the debate and let us know what you think!

Category: Internal Brand Engagement

Tags: interbrand , internal brand engagement , brand behavior , employee engagement , nordstrom , survey , employees , brand engagement




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Comments  (4)


  • Ian Buckingham

    Interesting article Maryann.

    I'm glad to see the term "engagement" finally replacing "alignment", vindicating some of the effort we went to when I set up Interbrand Inside.

    I agree with your statement about why brands exist, but prefer to refer to the fact that good brand management liberates consumer and employee choice. Brand Training, however, isn't the same as engagement.

    One of the persistent challenges brand managers face is the compelling need to unite the inward and outward facing custodians of the brand (usually marketing and HR). Without unity, the whole spectrum of brand, values, behaviours, culture etc becomes a muddied mess for employees and customers alike.

    Perhaps the biggest challenge is ensuring that an internal brand coalition exists first and foremost and then to set about engaging employees (the promise keepers) with the brand development journey.

    Without this fundamental coordination it's virtually impossible for employees to "use their best judgement" as you put it.

  • Stephan Sorger

    Employees as Brand Ambassadors: Your article is insightful, Maryann. I agree that employees should act as ambassadors for the brand. They should live and breathe and act the brand. In many situations, the employees are the brand. But employees can only properly engage consumers if they have support from top management. Unfortunately, so many once great institutions permit their brands to wither. Your example, Nordstrom, clearly demonstrates what happens when senior management loses touch with the brand. They probably do in fact tell their employees to provide good service. But few can argue that the brand has lost its luster. In its past, Nordstrom differentiated its brand with remarkable customer service. But now many consumers see it as just another department store. Top management has done little to stem the tide. They just decided to open a new store in Manhattan. Rather than take the opportunity to fortify the brand in luxury (like Apple would), they chose to open a discount Rack location. Next to Filene's basement, no less. So, I agree that organizations have the opportunity of engaging consumers with their brands through brand-aligned employees. But the effort is for naught if senior management fails to steward the brand properly. Stephan Sorger

  • Re Perez

    Hi Maryann - Excellent write-up. Couldn't agree more regarding brand behaviors, especially with consumer facing brands. The challenge then becomes, particularly in B2B or certain industry sectors, how to define on-brand behaviors for certain audience segments, i.e., engineers, scientists, or even a finance person? Re Perez

  • Interbrand

    Should Human Resources decide which behaviors are most important to the company, or should customers?

    Should Human Resources decide which behaviors are most important to the company, or should customers?


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