The Looking Glass
“The truth stands quietly in the looking glass, waiting for those who are brave enough to look it in the eye.”
The Looking Glass
Does Your Brand Ring Just As True For Your Employees?
This episode emphasizes that effective brand building extends beyond consumer perception, highlighting the critical importance of an internal brand that resonates with employees. It explains that employees are vital brand ambassadors, as their belief in the brand directly influences customer experience and overall brand credibility. It also underscores the concept of Brand Alignment, asserting that consistency between internal and external brand perceptions fosters employee satisfaction, attracts top talent, and promotes an inclusive and resilient company culture. Ultimately, it argues that a truly successful brand is one that authentically lives up to its promise for both its workforce and its customers.
When you think about a brand, What typically comes to mind first for most of us, right? It's the catchy jingle, maybe that memorable logo or, you know, the clever ads a company puts out. It's all about what a brand says to its customers. So we think. But what if we told you that's really only like half the story? Today, we're doing a deep dive into a fascinating idea that kind of turns traditional brand building on its head. We're exploring why the inside of a company is just as crucial, maybe even more so than the outside.
SPEAKER_00:Exactly. We've been looking at some really Okay, yeah, let's unpack this then.
SPEAKER_01:Traditionally, brand building, it feels like it's been almost exclusively focused on the consumer, right? So what did our exploration suggest about why that perspective, while obviously important, is, well, incomplete?
SPEAKER_00:It really is a bit of a paradigm shift, isn't it? That traditional view, the consumer-centric one, it's valid, sure, but it really only gives you half the picture. What we've seen is this undeniable emphasis on the equal importance of that internal audience, your employees. I mean, think about it. Employees aren't just like cogs in a machine. They are the living, breathing embodiment of the brand. Every single day, in every single customer interaction, they're the ones bringing that brand to life. So if the brand message doesn't genuinely resonate with them, then that external promise just can't be delivered consistently. It falls flat. The brand message really needs to be like a guiding beacon for how they act, the decisions they make, not just some slogan stuck on a wall.
SPEAKER_01:So, okay, when that brand message does click with employees, when it really lands, what's the tangible impact? What do you actually see? And on the flip side, what happens when there's that disconnect, when it just doesn't feel real to them?
SPEAKER_00:Oh, the impact is huge. When it clicks, those aligned employees, they just naturally become your most powerful brand advocates, your best ambassadors. They live the values. They actually believe in the product or service and that authenticity. It builds incredible trust and credibility with consumers. You can almost feel it. But if employees feel the brand is, say, disingenuous or inconsistent, like maybe the ads talk about innovation and care, but internally they feel ignored or stifled. Well, then they just won't be motivated to live up to those values. Why would they? And that leads straight to a disjointed, maybe even jarring customer experience. And ultimately. A breakdown of trust.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, that makes a lot of sense, especially when you put yourself in the employee's shoes. And this idea, it leads us right into this concept of brand alignment. Can you tell us what exactly that means and why is getting it right so vital?
SPEAKER_00:Right. Brand alignment is essentially getting the internal and external brand perceptions in sync, harmonizing them. It's when what the company says it is on the outside truly matches what it is on the inside, how it feels to work there. And the insights we looked at really highlight that gaps between these two. They can lead to what psychologists call cognitive dissonance, you know, that really uncomfortable mental clash people get when their beliefs or values don't line up with what they're seeing or doing. For employees, this translates pretty directly into, well, lower job satisfaction, less loyalty, maybe even feeling a bit disillusioned with the whole thing.
SPEAKER_01:OK, here's where it gets really interesting for me then. If that's the downside, the dissonance, what are the powerful benefits when the alignment is strong? What kind of transformation can a company actually expect to see? Oh,
SPEAKER_00:the transformation can be pretty significant. A really strong internal brand fosters this profound sense of purpose and identity among the employees. When they genuinely believe in what the brand stands for, their engagement levels, their productivity, it tends to skyrocket. They actually took pride in their work, real pride. And that directly translates into them delivering superior customer service, much better experiences. So this isn't just about like internal morale being good. It actively boosts the brand's reputation on the outside. You see this clear line, this connection from internal belief right through to external success.
SPEAKER_01:And I imagine this is even more critical now in today's world. Everything's so connected. Our sources definitely emphasize the role of social media. How has that made this internal brand perception like more critical than ever before?
SPEAKER_00:Oh, it's a massive amplifier, isn't it? A huge one. Think about it. In the past, maybe internal problems or disconnects might have stayed largely behind closed doors within the company walls. But now... Employees can instantly share their experiences, their opinions, good or bad about their employers with like a global audience instantly. So if a brand's external image is all shiny and perfect, but the internal reality is discordant, maybe a company talks a big game about work-life balance, but everyone's burnt out. That disparity, it's almost certainly going to get exposed, probably on Glassdoor, LinkedIn, Twitter. And when it does, boom, it can cause catastrophic damage to the company's reputation practically overnight.
SPEAKER_01:Wow. Okay. So flipping that again, what is it... to the world, to customers, to potential hires. When a brand does manage to authentically align those internal and external stories, what message does that send?
SPEAKER_00:It sends a really powerful message. It signals transparency, for one, authenticity. And those are values that are just incredibly highly prized today, you know, by everyone, consumers, job seekers, even investors. When a company genuinely practices what it preaches, when it walks the talk, it builds this foundation of real earned trust. People are are actively looking for companies that are accountable, that are consistent. And this internal-external alignment, it's a pretty clear sign of that commitment.
SPEAKER_01:MELANIE WARRICK- OK, so moving beyond just the customer experience and the company's reputation, how does a strong internal brand specifically impact attracting and keeping good people? Because that's a huge challenge, right, for so many places. MARK MIRCHANDANI-
SPEAKER_00:Absolutely critical, yeah, for both recruitment and retention. The material we reviewed, it consistently points to how a strong internal brand significantly helps attract and keep top talent. In fact, get this, one LinkedIn survey found that a massive 75 percent, three quarters of job seekers consider an employer's brand before they even apply for a job.
SPEAKER_01:75 percent. Wow.
SPEAKER_00:It's huge. And this seems especially true for millennials and Gen Z. They're increasingly looking for meaningful work, work that aligns with their own personal values. So if a company's internal culture. It's purpose. If that genuinely resonates with those values, it becomes like a magnet for the best people out there.
SPEAKER_01:That's a really powerful statistic. And it makes me think. What about some of the less obvious benefits, like fostering inclusivity? How does internal brand consistency play into that? Because that's so crucial today.
SPEAKER_00:That's a great point. An internally consistent brand, almost by definition, helps promote a real sense of inclusivity. When the brand's values, maybe values like respect, collaboration, equity, when they're clearly communicated and consistently lived out by leadership from the top down, it helps create an environment where everybody feels valued, where they feel heard, like their voice matters. And this isn't just a nice-to-have or a feel-good thing. It's actually a business imperative now. We know that diverse teams, when they feel empowered by an inclusive culture, are far more likely to generate innovative ideas, better solutions. It gives the company a real competitive edge.
SPEAKER_01:Right. Innovation driver, too. Okay. And one last area. Tough times. When a company inevitably faces adversity, some kind of crisis, how does having that internally consistent brand help steady the ship? Is it just about loyalty?
SPEAKER_00:It seems to be deeper than just loyalty, though that's part of it. It plays a really crucial role in fostering resilience when things get tough. Think about it. If employees fundamentally trust and believe in the brand, if they feel genuinely connected to its purpose and its values, even when things are difficult, they're far more likely to show, you know, unwavering commitment, adaptability, they'll stick with it. This internal strength, this sort of collective belief, it really allows the company to navigate those challenging circumstances with more stability, maybe make better decisions under pressure and ultimately emerge stronger on the other side. So, you know, in short, For a brand to really maximize its potential, to truly thrive long-term, it just has to ring as true for the people inside the company as it does for the customers outside. It really boils down to being authentic from the inside out.
SPEAKER_01:So what does this all mean for you, listening? It means a brand isn't just a logo, right, or a clever tagline. It is a profound promise. It's a living culture. It's a distinct way of doing business. It's kind of a whole entity.
SPEAKER_00:Absolutely. And by consciously... harmoniously aligning those internal and external brand perceptions companies aren't just like putting on a good show for the outside world they're actively cultivating an environment where their employees are deeply engaged where consumers instinctively trust the brand because it feels real and where ultimately the whole business performs better it creates this sort of virtuous cycle
SPEAKER_01:So maybe a final thought to leave you with. When you think about the brands you interact with every day, maybe even your own workplace, how resonant do you think their brand really is inside and out? Is the promise they make to the world consistent with the actual reality experienced by their own people? It's a really fascinating lens, isn't it? To view any organization through.
